Trench Knife Delphi
by Azure Lightning Emerald Cloud
Summary: When Umbridge is about to CRUCIO Harry, a woman knocks on the door. Enter Delphi. She's out of Azkaban and into another timeline. Violence ensues. But she also wants friends because she's low-key lonely af and everyone she's ever met hates her. Join her on her bloody journey. I don't own any of these character, J.K. Rowling does.
1. Hey Kids! Wanna See a Dead Body?

Magic and a Trench Knife

"The Cruciatus will loosen your tongue!" the pink hag screeched as she raised her wand to the boy bound in the chair. All around him, his restrained friends screamed their protest.

There was a knock on the door. Four knocks to be precise, by somebody strong enough that their knuckles wrapping on the door made the frame creak. Umbridge stalked over to the door, furious at being interrupted _again_.

The door swung open to reveal a tall woman in a black suit, black dress shirt, sporting a black tie. But they weren't just black clothing items. The almost seemed to _suck in _the light around them, making her body seem like an ethereal darkness rather than just clad in black. It was disorienting, and she damn well knew it. She was blonde, though her blue-streaked hair was done up in a messy bun. "Hello there," she said with a smirk. Her accent was distinctly _not _Received Pronunciation class like the purebloods. Her bright eyes swept the room before returning to the toad of a woman who called herself headmistress of Hogwarts.

"You're interfering with official ministry business!" Umbridge shrieked at the blonde woman.

"You make a poor torturer," she replied with a grin, completely dismissing the pink woman's declaration. "Especially considering you're torturing a Gryffindor. A true Gryffindor would never break under the Cruciatus curse when applied to _themselves_. Or at least would last long enough for the torturer to lose the advantage," she amended casually. "Take that one's parents for example. Tortured for _hours._" She gestured to Neville Longbottom with a gloved hand. He nearly _growled _at the newcomer. She chuckled. There was something about her mirth that left Draco Malfoy feeling chills down his spine. It felt _familiar_. "Crouch Jr, the Lestrange Brothers and dear old Bellatrix didn't spend hours in that house getting off on torture. They were there _for something else_. Bellatrix may enjoy hurting people, but she wasn't a fool; at least before Azkaban broke her mind. She was most likely asking about you," she said directly to Neville. The boy in question's eyes widened at her insinuation. "Where is the boy?" the blonde woman intoned in what Draco _knew _was a startlingly close mimicry of his aunt Bellatrix's voice.

Before anybody could move, there was a large knife plunging through Umbridge's skull from above, the blade stopped only as it reached the interior of her throat. The stranger, now _murderer_, casually waved her hand, wandlessly silencing the students' panicked reactions to Umbridge's sudden and brutal end. There was a grin on her face that somehow lacked mirth.

The Stranger lifted up the knife, bringing Umbridge's corpse off the ground a few inches before she wiggled the knife a little, causing the former headmistress' body to slide off the blade and gracelessly to the ground. Using her foot, the blonde murderer slammed the door shut, and it locked. With her outstretched hand not holding the knife, she made a fist, her forearm perpendicular to the floor, and jerked it back towards herself like she was doing weight training. All the wands in the room were suddenly propelled out of hands and to the wall behind her, clattering against the wall in disparate clacking sounds. "Ding dong, the bitch is dead," the blonde sang to herself quietly. Though it wasn't quiet enough to go unheard by everyone in the room. Her head jerked up from looking at the dead Umbridge. "Which one of you just pissed yourself? Kindly remove yourself, she said as she opened the door. She took a cloth out of her pocket with which she began cleaning Umbridge's brain matter and skull fragments off her blade. She took out an ebony wand that looked tipped with silver and pointed it at Umbridge while the students didn't move. The corpse of the most hated teacher disappeared like she was never there.

After that, Gregory Goyle fled the room, his trousers indeed soiled. Vincent Crabbe and Millicent Bullstrode followed him; all three having pissed themselves. "Alright then," the blonde said as she took stock of the remaining children too afraid to move. "My name is Delphi, and I'd like to be properly introduced to the lot of you. Roll call, starting with _you_," she said with a barely discernable sneer, pointing at the girl she _knew _to be Hermione Granger.

"H-Hermione Granger?"

"Neville Longbottom."

"Ron Weasley."

"Pansy Parkinson."

"Ginny Weasley."

"Draco Lucius Malfoy."

"Luna Pandora Lovegood."

"Harry Potter," the Boy-Who-Lived ground out as he tried to free himself from his bindings.

"Well, why don't you explain exactly what the hell is happening here. _You_, start," She said now pointing at Granger.

"None of your business," Potter spat at her. He may hate Umbridge, but she reminded him too much of Tom Riddle to be comfortable around her under normal circumstances. And then she went and brutally murdered a high-ranking ministry official.

"Yeah, we won't tell you anything!" Ron Weasley spoke up loudly, loyally backing up his best friend.

The blonde considered him a moment before wandlessly summoning Parkinson across the room who shrieked in surprise. "Pansy!" Malfoy yelped as his house-mate was now in the hands of this woman who made him more afraid than just about anybody.

"Let me go!" Parkinson screamed.

"I think you children are operating on a misconception that you're safe. If you're hoping to interfere, please think again," the blonde woman drawled. "I silenced and locked off this whole room from the outside. Nobody will hear the screams and _other _noises," Delphi said with a sick grin that brought a swooping dread to everyone's stomach.

"Are you sure you don't want to just tell me? I mean," Delphi paused and lightly shook Parkinson who she was holding up by the scruff of her robes, clear off the ground. "I _could _use Legillimency to rape your minds, but I don't think that is something _any _of you can recover from properly before the start of the September term. I'll ask again Miss Granger, what was dear departed Delores hoping to torture out of young Potter here?" There was only petrified silence.

Delphi dropped Parkinson in front of her, her knees and robes now drenched in Umbridge's gore. She reached out and gently tapped her wand against the wall and _purred, "_Crucio." A _darkness _poured from the wand in tendrils that spread in branching grooves upon the wall until the plates on the walls shattered over the students, showering them in ceramic. She removed her wand, cancelling the spell, and then lightly crouched down and cupped Parkinson under the chin so her face was raised enough to make eye contact with her classmates. She gently caressed the wand tip along Parkinson's cheek in slow patterns to draw out the moment. The girl was quaking, on the point of hyperventilation. The wand moved up the girl's face until it stopped at her temple, at which point Parkinson started crying.

"Fucking tell her Granger!" Malfoy frantically shouted at the Gryffindor girl.

Delphi looked up at Hermione who was biting her lip so hard there was blood running down her chin. The blonde said, "You know, under different circumstances I might admire your resilience Miss Granger. But you need to learn what you are willing to lose as the price of witholding information. Today, it seems you will lose the moral high ground for the rest of your life. I hope it's worthwhile," she placed the wand tip at the back of Parkinson's head, like a mobster would an execution shot. She licked her lips before letting a sadistic grin light up her face. Granger had tears falling from her wide eyes, but she still kept silent; blood was dripping down her chin as she continued to bite her lip, stopping herself from divulging information that could compromise the Order of the Phoenix or Sirius Black's safety.

"P-Please…" Parkinson brokenly sobbed. Whether she was talking to Hermione, the other Gryffindors or the woman holding her fate in her hands, nobody knew.

"If you're wondering," Delphi said to them all, "_This _is how to get a confession." But before she could do or say anything further, a quiet and steady voice spoke up.

"Harry was trying to use Umbridge's unimpeded Floo connection to contact his godfather," everyone turned to the student who had spoken up. It wasn't Hermione, or any of the Gryffindors; it was the outcast Luna Lovegood.

Instantly Delphi lifted the wand from the back of Pansy's head and sheathed it in the holster up her opposite sleeve. "Okay, that's a good start," Delphi's sadistic grin somehow morphed into something much warmer. "Congratulations Miss Lovegood, you made the correct choice. You are indeed a hero today. Let that be a lesson to you lions, and you too Mister Malfoy; know when to give a little. Know when the cost is worth paying, and when it's not." With that, Pansy was hauled to her feet and not so gracefully pushed to Luna, who caught the shorter Slytherin girl in a surprisingly sturdy grasp that shifted into a hug as Pansy just wrapped her arms around the taller blonde and sobbed into Luna's shoulder heedless of the attention being paid to her. Luna looked baffled, and to those who knew her, that was a rarity indeed.

"So you were trying to contact Sirius Black. It's a shame Dumbledore never used his astoundingly powerful political clout and official, _legal _position to ensure a fair trial for the man." Delphi's words hung in the air. She was so casual about it, it was one of the reasons she was so off-putting.

"You know he's innocent?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Oh, now you talk?" Delphi asked with a raised eyebrow, but pushed on before Hermione could ashamedly reply, "Yes he's innocent. Or rather, not guilty of murder is the better way to put it. From what I understand, the old dog really _did _go to that street to kill the rat. But he got outplayed and framed." Delphi explained as she adjusted the fitting of her gloves. "Your man Dumbledore could have arranged a trial whenever he wanted. He was also in a position to stop Black's unlawful incarceration, and he _knew _there never was a trial from the start, since ALL Azkaban prisoners are known by the Chief of the Wizangamot. Granted, he may have believed the man was guilty, but then again, nobody ever questioned the Longbottom's torturers were guilty, and they got a very public trial. Doesn't that strike you as strange?" Delphi asked as she looked down pitifully at Potter.

"What are you implying?" Harry asked despite himself.

"You know what I'm implying. You're not an idiot, or if you are, you could probably ask Miss Lovegood or Miss Granger. They're smarter than you'll ever be, they'll work it out. But that's not the problem of the moment. Why are you trying to contact you godfather? Don't make me ask again young man. You won't like who I'll choose to threaten next," Delphi's casual tone devolved into outright malice with her last words before she tilted her head to the side in a very bird-like motion, waiting for her answer.

"He's being tortured by Voldemort," Harry growled as if each word caused him pain. "At the Ministry of Magic.

Delphi nodded. "Did you verify that Sirius is there?"

"He's not at," Potter's voice cut out as his tongue nearly choked him.

"Ah, Fidelus charm, I understand." Delphi grimaced. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"Save him," Ginny Weasley spoke up for the first time.

"Hmm." Delphi tilted her head in an exaggerated 'thinking' motion. "That sounds like a very Gryffindor thing to do. I'll let you all go, on one condition," Delphi stuck up one long finger shrouded by her black gloves.

"Do we have a choice?" Neville asked.

Delphi gave him an indulgent grin, "No, you really don't."

"Well, what is it?" Harry spoke with surprising charisma from his position of vulnerability still tied to the chair.

"I'm coming with you all. _And _I'm going to bring Pansy and Draco as silent and unseen witnesses. Just for fun," Delphi let out a genuine laugh at their mixed looks of horror.


	2. Field Trip

CHAPTER 2: Field Trip from Heaven (Hell)

"We could take our brooms right?" Ron suggested after Delphi permitted the students to all collected their wands from the floor. None of them were exactly eager to test their warden.

"_We _aren't going anywhere, this doesn't concern the lot of you," Harry said stubbornly. There were various negative responses to this statement but none more livid than Neville's.

"What was the point of the D.A. if not for times _exactly _like this?" the Longbottom heir growled. "We're coming with you Harry, even if _she _wasn't here. Besides, not all of us own our own brooms, and the school brooms are an atrocity," he finished with a shiver. Delphi didn't understand why, but she knew he probably had some kind of history with the school brooms.

Delphi smirked at the kids as they walked through the bridge that spanned the ravine between Hagrid's hut, the Forbidden Forest, the Quidditch pitch, and the rest of the castle. "The angry one's got a point there Potter," Delphi drawled as she casually fixed her tie and dusted down her slacks. The kids would have no way to know, but she had woven a number of spells into her clothes allowing for undetectable extension charms in all her pockets, various protective wards, and manually triggered self-cleaning functions.

She reached into one of these pockets. Though not the one that held a sizable portion of her total wealth, putting a literal twist on the phrase 'deep pockets'. But she didn't withdraw money; instead she took out a ring. A golden ring with an unbroken black stone, the sign of the Deathly Hallows carved artfully on the surface. She placed the ring on right hand, third finger.

"What's that?" Malfoy asked, practically drawn to the item, which screamed 'wealth and heirloom'.

"Proof of legacy among other things. In short, it's an heirloom," Delphi responded as they had finished crossing the bridge.

"There's a herd of Thestrals in the forest," Luna spoke up, her Irish accent lilting over them like a calming draught. Delphi focused on the grey-eyed blonde girl and decided not to underestimate her. She had proven she had a big heart by sparing Pansy, and that she was a stable thinker in moments of crisis.

"Have ridden a Thestral before?" Pansy almost couldn't help but ask. Luna turned to her and slowly smiled, nodding her head.

"Well, that solves that problem," Delphi muttered. And so they spent the next ten minutes or so in silence, trudging past Hagrid's vacant cabin, past the Whomping Willow, and into the dense canopy of trees that had stood there for centuries.

"May I see that ring?" Luna asked suddenly, the dreamy quality in her voice gone.

Delphi looked down at her fellow blonde and replied, "Upon our return. It wouldn't do to distract you." The others exchanged confused looks, completely in the lurch about what was being discussed.

"It's real?" Luna's voice broke with a desperation no one had ever heard from her before save her father. But that was the day her mother died.

Delphi stopped and turned fully to the younger girl. "Yes. And I will let you use it. But you would do well to remember the story from whence this little beauty came from. It does not do to dwell on dreams of what can never be, and by doing so, forget to _live_, yes?" Delphi's speech pattern and solemnity broke through Luna's bout of desperation. Delphi put her hand on the blonde's shoulder and gave a small squeeze. "It wants you to die. Never forget that my dear."

Their moment of importance was broken when there was a thunderous noise that sounded oddly like footsteps. "Grawp," Hermione breathed with fear.

"Wot?" Delphi asked.

"Hagrid's half-brother," Harry elaborated. Delphi just looked at him and he got her message to extrapolate. "Hagrid's half giant. His half brother is full giant."

"What the fuck?" Draco asked in horror. They didn't have to wait long before a thirty-something foot giant with the proportions of a little kid wandered into their sight line. He was walking toward them.

"You're familiar with him right?" Delphi asked as she drew her wand. She wasn't taking chances with this one.

"We met him once," Hermione hedged. "But it was only for a little while."

"I'm going to make this as simple as possible. You will tell him to fuck off, and go swallow somebody else whole; I'm not particularly into that kind of death. You will do this, or I will kill him." Delphi's voice wasn't exactly cold, but it was too calm all the same.

"You can't just–," Harry tried to interject, but Delphi silenced him with a look that took his breath away. Her eyes. Her eyes had flared dark crimson, and then they were normal again.

"He's a bleedin' giant! How are you going to do that?" Ginny spoke up. "You might be strong, but giants are resistant to spell-fire."

"Ten points to Gryffindor," Delphi drawled. She took out her trench knife; the tool of choice she used to dispatch Umbridge not fifteen minutes ago. "How would you suppose I kill him then?" she asked as if she were a teacher asking a question in the classroom.

"You won't have to," Hermione said. "I can ask him to leave."

"I _want _you to ask him to leave. My stance isn't murder for fun, Miss Granger. It's self-defense." Delphi replied with an eye-roll.

"Banish the knife through his eye, out the back of his head," Pansy said quietly. Delphi turned to the teenage girl she had traumatized by threat of torture, and smiled.

"Right you are Miss Parkinson."

The giant was upon them. He wasn't making any gestures that were overly aggressive movements, but he said, "HERMY? WHERE HAGGER?"

"He remembers me," Hermione muttered to herself. But before she could properly respond, there was more thunderous noise. This time, it was the centaur herd. "Mister Potter, you've returned. What is your business here?"

"HERMY! WHERE HAGGER!"

"I DON'T KNOW. HE'S NOT HERE." Hermione shouted back, ignoring the centaur army. They _were _an army; every single one of them was armed with bows and arrows. "I'LL COME BACK LATER, PLEASE GO." The giant looked very confused at Hermione's words. Honestly, the group that came from the Headmistress' office was surprised he seemed to recognize human speech at all.

"What the fuck?" Delphi asked the heavens as the situation proceeded to get stranger and more dangerous.

"We were looking for the Thestrals. We don't want any trouble. I remember you, you're Bane." Harry raised his voice in what he hoped was a strong and confident tone. He didn't totally succeed. But it was alright…

"Yes. I was there the night Firenze vouched for your innocence in the slaying of our neighbors, the unicorns. He's a traitor now though, and he is not welcome back among us. He's chosen his side. And you have no right to trespass on our territory," Bane began as the army began to get a little bit anxious at the giant visibly losing his temper.

The giant punched a tree in his frustration that he was being ignored. Delphi shrugged as she brandished her knife, ready to follow through on her threat, using Pansy's strategy. But Bane got there first. "Silence yourself you brute!" He gestured for all his comrades to open fire at once.

Grawp screamed as he was riddled with arrows. Though for the sheer number of arrows, to the giant, Delphi thought it must feel like an acupuncture session gone badly. He had the sense to protect his eyes, causing his arms to take much of the damage. "Well this is fun, but we should really go now, yes?" Delphi spoke up after they (the students that is) were doused in Grawp's blood as he flailed about. Delphi's made herself impervious to gore. Because she had grooming standards.

The centaurs decided to turn tail and run after Grawp managed to grab one and make a mess of him. Entrails and limb fragments _sprayed _over everyone again, and even Bane wasn't keen on continuing after that. Grawp spit out the centaur's decapitated head right at Bane, so maybe the giant had a sense of humour.

Grawp left the humans to chase the centaurs since he obviously had a taste for them now. Delphi put her trench knife back in its sheath and glanced around. "Well, that was a thing," Delphi muttered to herself. The traumatized children were still staring at the pile of entrails that hadn't either been splattered on the centaurs or found their way down Grawp's gullet. . She decided to have mercy. "Who wants me to obliviate the last couple minutes from your memory?"

There weren't any takers, though Delphi figured they _wanted _to forget, but didn't trust her not to completely erase their personhood by turning their memories to ash. Which was a valid concern, but even Delphi had moral boundaries she wouldn't cross…unless she deemed the situation to necessitate such a horrific choice. "Suit yourselves," Delphi shrugged. She turned to Luna again and smiled, "So, we've lost some time already, if you could continue to be our guide, we'll be over to the ministry before we know it,"

Luckily, the Thestrals were drawn to them (along with some giant spiders Ron viciously destroyed) because of all the gore and blood painting their immediate surroundings a decidedly _not _forest-like colour. "There's enough here for everyone. Mount up!" Delphi cried out as she eagerly clambered somewhat gracelessly onto the biggest of the lot, the matriarch. "What are you all doing standing there?"

"Only Harry, Luna, and I were able to see them before," Neville spoke up. Delphi nodded in understanding. At least Umbridge was useful for something.

"Well don't gawk forever, we've got a man to save from a horrible fate right?" Delphi continued in that eerily cheery tone the students were beginning to associate with her specifically.

After a couple of minutes that included Draco falling off of his Thestral like a pro, they were ready. Delphi gently encouraged her beast forward with some soft crooning and then they were airborne one by one.

The trip down to England was somewhat lackluster from Delphi's perspective. But she did appreciate the vibrations from the beating wings of the magnificent creature traveling up her legs and into her abdomen. She figured she could've flown faster herself, but she could've also just created a portkey, and that would've been boring.

They crammed into the red telephone box that Harry guided them to and Hermione couldn't help but feel that _Doctor Who_ had given her some seriously false expectations about phone booths. It sucked.

The magical artificial intelligence asked "What is the purpose of your visit today?"

"Rescue Mission," Harry spoke up having anticipated the question. His previous visit to the ministry going through his head all the more vividly now he was retracing his steps from the day of his 'hearing'. It was a trial and everyone knew it.

The badges were passed about, and pinned to the front of everyone's uniform. Well, Luna decided to use the badge as a makeshift barrette in her hair, keeping it out of her eyes. Pansy seemed to briefly consider doing the same, but backed down and decided to pin it to her uniform like everyone else. Delphi just put the badge in one of her pockets, "It's not like anybody's going to be inspecting us for them," she said at Hermione's raised eyebrow.

They exited the elevators and found themselves in the atrium. As they crossed the expansive space, Delphi took out her wand and cast three disillusionment charms, effectively hiding herself and the two representatives of Slytherin House from sight. Delphi pulled from one of her seemingly infinite pockets three masks with attached hoods. The masks were pretty standard face masks, sort of like a half-balaclava that just covered everything up the eyes. The hood rankled Pansy for a moment before she realized there was some sort of charm on it that didn't necessitate her to change her hairstyle. "It feels like my hair's still touching my shoulders," she said with a small bit of wonder.

"Yeah, that's a neat feature. My hair is still in a bun, but that's not what anyone else would see. But the masks aren't actually for concealment, since my disillusionment charm should take care of that aspect. These masks and hoods are for private communication between the three of us." Delphi explained.

"Whom are you talking to?" Ginny asked as she turned around to look at where she knew Delphi, Pansy, and Draco were walking behind them.

"You all can hear me because I want you to," Delphi addressed the others. "But only I can hear Miss Parkinson and Mister Malfoy. You won't be able to see us, and in case of a fight, neither will our enemies be they ministry employees or otherwise. In the case of conflict don't count on me to just intervene for you though. I might get involved, or I might sit back and watch, it'll really depend on the situation."

"That's not exactly encouraging," Hermione muttered.

"Hey, didn't that one," Delphi pointed to Neville, "Say that you've trained for this kind of thing for a while now? You'll probably be fine. Most of you will make it out of this for sure!" Unsurprisingly nobody else shared Delphi's chipper mood.

The rooms got stranger and stranger the further they delved into the Department of Mysteries. Case and point, the room with the creepy archway leading into the void. "Do you hear them?" Harry asked timidly.

"Yes," everyone replied.

Delphi's ring felt tingly, and she looked down at it. 'Something worth investigating later for sure,' she thought to herself as they left the room behind them for the moment.

They walked through a room that had to do with _time_, and Delphi was understandably fascinated by it. She walked over to the shelves that held the time turners, and after browsing them for a moment; she picked one up with a satisfied smug look on her face. It was bigger than the others, and instead of gold, it was ebony, with sapphire runes carved around it. The hourglass part of it didn't contain sand, but something that looked like the nearly gaseous form of a patronus. It was a shame nobody could see Delphi's low-key heist through the immaculate camouflage spell she had woven around herself and the Slytherins.

Before long, they were in the Hall of Prophecy. "It was right here!" Harry shouted with a bit of genuine panic in his voice for the first time that day, at least that Delphi had seen.

"Um, Harry? This one has your name on it." Neville was standing over by one of the thousands of orbs that did indeed have his name on it.

Delphi tapped the new time turner, whispering something and the thing glowed blue for a moment before returning to normal. Before Harry could make his way over to the shelf, Delphi got there first. She slipped off the glove on her hand, moving the ring to her left side, mirroring a wedding ring. The pale fingers of her closed around the milky orb and pulled it from its perch. Hermione gasped, but her fear was for naught. Nothing bad had happened. Delphi looked down at it and her face split into an ecstatic grin at her accomplishment. Her theory about herself was right. She knew once the others heard it, she'd have to explain to them line for line, and probably 'Bumblefuck' too.

She didn't really call Dumbledore 'Dumbledore' inside her head; and so long as she didn't call him bumblefuck to anybody else, no one would get upset with her for it. She was _really _looking forward to roasting him for ensuring Potter's abuse in one way or another for his entire life as a minor. She hated the arrogant Potter from her time who grew complacent with everyone kissing his feet, but after coming to this timeline and learning exactly how closely their childhoods were parallels of each other, she lost her shit with the old man who scared the shit out of her dad. No child deserved to grow up the way they had; Delphi wasn't a _monster_.

The prophecy that felled her father; the one she had learned from its publication in the _Quibbler_ when she was thirteen, _could _refer to her as well. But it never really became something she obsessed about until she decided to use Albus and Scorpius' stupidity to time travel. Well, that didn't work out to well, so she had to break out of Azkaban prison. But really, what were they expecting? That the old ruin of a prison could hold _her? C'mon. _Delphi shook her head of all these thoughts as she swiftly turned and handed the orb, the prophecy, to Harry. "You might want to hear this," she bent down to whisper in his ear, startling him slightly.

She felt the change in their situation before the children did, and she silently immobilized Pansy and Draco before her Uncle Lucius and her mother Bellatrix revealed their arrival. "What do we have here?" Lucius' drawl carried over to them and they immediately closed ranks with Delphi, Draco, and Pansy standing off to the side; warded from most spell damage (thanks to Delphi's quick thinking) and able to observe this encounter.

When Delphi's eyes found her mother, wicked as she was, the daughter couldn't help but tear up, seeing her mother for the first time.


	3. Future Diary

Author's Note: This Chapter takes place during the summer after the ministry fight. I'll do the ministry fight probably next chapter. This chapter is Ginny reflecting on stuff over the summer between book five and six. I hope you enjoy, but I'll also understand if you find the format of this chapter a little jarring.

* * *

CHAPTER 3: Future Diary

_Dear Diary,_

_Tuesday _

_It's Ginny again. I haven't written in a little while, but there's too much going through my head. It's like a hive of bees buzzing under my skin and I need to let it out somehow. Mum said I couldn't go into the woods and destroy things with _Reducto. _I'm sure there's a bunch of healthy alternatives to writing in a diary. I know the mind-healers I saw after my catastrophe of a first year told me that unlike normal patients of theirs, keeping a diary might be a 'trigger'. Whatever that means; they could've just said I shouldn't do it because the last time I did I got possessed by the most powerful Dark Wizard of the era. Fucking mind-healers and their games. Though I was twelve, and I was still really out of it. Maybe I shouldn't have thrown that vase at Dr. Shirai; she was only trying her best, and I sent her right next door to the hospital to get her face to stop bleeding. Gods I was such a bitch. I think I was one of her first patients… I was twelve. I have to repeat this to myself every so often because if I don't, then the guilt is just another shite thing to deal with. ._

_I have to see one tomorrow, Dr. Fleur Delacour actually. Fleur Fucking Delacour is a mind-healer. Like that just happened. She apparently blazed through her mastery, because she's ACTUALLY that smart. Maybe Wizarding France has better career programs than we do? I'll have to ask McGonagall. But more to the point, HOW did she become Tri-Wizard Champion of Beauxbatons? She helps people for a living; she's not a gladiator or some shite? At least Krum competes for a living, and even Diggory to a certain extent being a nearly unrivalled Seeker._

_I think my brother Bill asked Fleur out, got rejected. I laughed at that. Mum cuffed the back of my head, totally worth it though. Even Bill grinned._

_ Anyway, Fleur works in the same office as Dr. Shirai, because of course she does. So of course we ran into her, and she DEFINITELY recognized me. She says she's forgiven me. I sent her flowers afterward. Maybe that worked the charm? I really hope she doesn't hate me. I feel like such a shit for hurting her, even if I KNOW that I still wasn't really recovered from Tom at the time, and my actions weren't entirely my own until like partway through second-year. I used to think people claiming to be under the Imperius Curse were all self-serving wankers. But now I'm not so sure. I mean, there's shites like Malfoy who are obviously guilty, but a lot of the others may be telling the truth. Tom's Imperio was differently delivered, but coming to terms with what I'd done was horrifying. No wonder I don't really have friends other than the upper-years or Luna. And Tonks, but she wasn't there for what happened in my first year, so I don't think she totally counts in the same way. She's also a proper adult, so she'll never have time to listen to my whinging._

_Fleur is going to be my mind-healer. Shite. I hope it doesn't go as badly for me as last time did. But as far as tomorrow goes, Mum insisted I go, and I know that Luna, Harry, and maybe even Hermione will be going as well. Thankfully none of them know that Dr. Shirai and I have history. I think she'll be handling Harry, since he and Fleur already know each-other fairly well. I think they've been exchanging letters since the Tournament._

_Dear Diary,_

_Wednesday_

_ Dr. Kuroko Shirai is an actual goddess and I want to marry her. Or, maybe not since she's already got herself a wife, Mikoto Misaka or something…she uses her maiden name in her career for some reason. Is that a thing in Japan? I don't know. She probably just does it for professional reasons, just like how my mum used to still use her maiden name when she wrote for the Prophet when I was younger._

_Dr. Shirai is very pretty, and she was so eager to show me the picture she carried of her wife Mikoto. Maybe they'd share? NO. BAD GINNY. I shouldn't write in this diary after being horny (don't judge me Diary, it was a stressful day, and I needed to let some tension out ok? getting a letter from Harry didn't hurt in that regard, his eyes are dreamy). Dr. Shirai pulled me aside and gave me a hug of all things, and _apologized _to me for what happened a few years ago when I snapped and threw that vase at her. I think I might have cried. I didn't know how badly I wanted her forgiveness for hurting her. Beyond the whole I want to sit on her face while her wife eats her out thing It felt like I was under Tom's control, and she knew that, and she forgave me. Not even Hermione has come up to me to forgive me. I mean, I don't blame her, but it would still be nice to hear._

_MY actual session really went fine. I think the moment before it with Dr. Shirai helped me loosen up. Or made me more vulnerable or something. Either way It helped, I think. Fleur actually wants me back next week._

_Thank the gods her allure doesn't affect me, otherwise I would've ended up in her lap or something. Gods, how shitty must her life be? I can't imagine having an aura that makes men want to fuck me. Like, even more than they already do, it's not I'm not leered at or fucking cat-called. Pieces of shit the lot of the bastards. But for her it's even _worse _because it's magically influenced seduction she can't really turn off. I feel slightly bad about rooting against her in the Tri-Wizard Tournament now. Well, I'm not mad at myself for supporting Harry. But I feel like a right shit for grinning when she was pulled from the lake; at the time I was thinking she was just one less obstacle for Harry. I need to stop going off on tangents. Fleur says I'm a master at deflecting, and I can sort of see her point. I deflect even when I'm writing in my damn diary of all situations. I wonder if that's because I still don't always trust my own thoughts? Or diaries for that matter?_

_Something very interesting happened when we left Fleur and Dr. Shirai's office. Tom's Daughter–DELPHI was there…or an appointment with Dr. Shirai. What is happening in the world when Voldemort and Bellatrix's daughter is going into therapy?_

_Dear Diary,_

_Wednesday_

_ It's been a week since Therapy with Fleur. I went back this morning after leaving St. Mungo's. It wasn't as good…or it didn't fell as good. But Fleur says I'm not dealing with my emotions very well because I haven't come to terms with what happened at the Department of Mysteries. She said I had a history of repressing things, and that it would only blow up in my face (or others') if I didn't address it. Dr. Shirai definitely told her I threw a vase at her when I was twelve._

_ UGH._

_Dear Diary,_

_Thursday_

_FUCK._

_Flying around isn't working, everyone I'd normally talk to is just as much a mess as I am, and hell if I'm going to make them feel even _worse _because I was the weak one who went and made myself a burden on them. I need to talk about this to SOMEONE so here I am, talking to MYSELF. The last time I was so fucked up was the torture session with Umbitch last October. Thank gods I was smart enough to not provoke her again. My words faded from my hand in a month, but I think Harry's gonna have his forever. _'I must not tell lies'. _Gods I'm glad she's dead; even if I've already had nightmares about it, worthwhile for sure. I wish Delphi hurt her more first. Gods that's dark, I need to think about something else._

_Fleur sent me an owl hoping I was well, and that she'd like to reschedule next week's appointment to Thursday instead of Wednesday for some reason she was sort of vague about. She also told me if I couldn't tell HER about my feelings on what happened in the ministry, I should write them out. I shouldn't have brought up the diary, she was very excited when I did, and now she's gone and weaponized against me. When I told Hermione about it, she agreed with Fleur, surprised that the French witch was actually quite insightful. Maybe it's macabre to write this while sitting next to the unconscious form of my best friend in her hospital bed…_

_FINE._

_Going to the Ministry with Harry was a mistake. Why did I think it would be a good idea? Fucking stubbornness. I really should've listened to Percy, the twat, I owled him over the Easter holls, not that my family knew, and he told me to think things through before making big decisions. He said it was the one major downfall of most Gryffindors. It took so much bullshiting for me to get a decent response from him. He may be a prat, but he's also my smartest brother who hasn't actively tormented me (Fred and George you bastards. clever, but shites all the same)._

_ The way things went down in that dark fucking place should have been less bloody. What was I thinking? What were WE thinking? We're KIDS. Then again, if we had known who Delphi was, we probably should've expected worse. So Much worse._

_As bad as things were, we were lucky only one of us died…and one of us maimed. And now everyone is grieving somehow. Damn it. I don't think I'll be leaving St. Mungo's much over the next couple months, at least._

_ At least the Death Eaters got theirs. Merlin's balls did the get theirs. Only two of them lived, out of like a dozen or something. I didn't count exactly. One of them is going to Azkaban once he's released from the hospital here, and the _other_ is useless to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I wonder how that situation is going to work out in the long-term. I understand Delphi and the Order were negotiating that situation. I hope the Order come to their senses and just let her have what she wants. I don't want to lose anyone else, and I think she's well capable of killing Order members if she thinks she has to._

_But for some reason, that bitch Delphi was on our side. Sort of. At least that's what I've been told by the Order after they 'interrogated' her. Probably were pissing themselves the whole time; probably especially Tonks. Gods, to have a cousin like that…there' s no way they could've forced HER to sit down and talk with them. No way at all. But the way she fought that night, and the way she fucked with Parkinson back in Umbitch's office earlier that day have already given me nightmares. Fuck. I guess that makes sense in a sick way, continuing her dad's legacy. Now two Riddles are in my head_

_Tom fucking Riddle. How did he become what he is now? He was a right monster as a teenager. He tried to EAT MY SOUL kill me. But now I'm older I can say he was even quite fetching, in retrospect. How fucked am I that I've uh, touch–brought myself to orgasm to the thought of his face, and his praise. I EVEN KEEP A FUCKING DIARY YEARS LATER BECAUSE I MISS HIM. I MISS having somebody who _understood me, _who didn't judge me, who didn't laugh at me 'cause I'm a girl, or too short, too _cute, _or too angry. Maybe part of me hopes that my writing will disappear and he'll say 'It's been so long, how are you Ginerva?' or something like that. I hate myself._

_Therapy with Fleur is helping with that, slowly. But there's a little progress._

_Even at his worst, Tom never really lied to me. He just made me believe that things would be better if He had my body instead of me. So I GAVE it to him. He made me think I was doing a good thing, setting the basilisk loose. He didn't even give a damn about who it killed, pure-blood or muggleborn, He despised both equally. Probably because he hated his dad, and the purebloods of his time like Malfoy's grandfather Abraxas were right arseholes to him when they thought he was a 'mudblood peasant'. I've been told that my brain scans by the healers at St. Mungo's showed signs of Imperio-like symptoms when the Headmaster had me examined after my first year, but it still feels like I had a choice, and chose wrong. Maybe that's Tom's parting gift, corrupting me. Was that what the Imperius curse feels like? I know some of the older years had Not-Made-Eye cast it on them last year in D.A.D.A. class, and that Harry did best breaking free from it. But I haven't discussed it with them, other than telling them I had lost time. I got those memories back eventually, I didn't tell them about that part. I don't know if I ever will._

_ But now? Tom? Was that even him? He looks god awful. He doesn't even have a NOSE! Christ, his eyes are red and he looks like the pictures Hermione's shown me of the muggle grim reaper. It's hideous. There's a part of me that will probably wonder forever what the fuck happened to make the perfect Head Boy with a perfect body turn into a _THING _who's outside appearance mirrored the sickness of soul inside._

_Dear Diary,_

_Wednesday_

_ This entry is being written IN FRONT of Fleur. She said she wanted to see what I was like when I was writing. Even when I threatened to quit this whole thing if she saw what's inside this book. She didn't ask to see, she just wanted to see my expressions or something I think._

_Remember how I said someone died at the ministry who was one of us? Yeah. The Funeral is next week. I'm surprised it took a fortnight to manage to pull it together. Probably because us magicals have stasis spells so we don't have to worry about rotting corpses._

_I shouldn't have written that. I already hate myself enough._

_God damn it. It's been TWO FUCKING WEEKS, but somehow I'm not ready. How will I ever be ready? My family's a mess, Harry and Hermione are despondent, and not even Luna is as care-free as usual. That's no surprise considering she lost an arm. Wow I'm a bitch. Ugh, why can't I just shut myself up before I say something horrid like that. I know it's in a diary, but UGH._

_Also, what the fuck is Pug-nosed Parkinson doing here in St. Mungo's with Luna? She's such a bitch! I don't have much to say, I've spent most of the last few days crying and lashing out at people._

_Dear Diary,_

_Thursday_

_ Luna sent a wandless stinging at me from her bed when I said Parkinson had a pug-nose. The snake was out of the room using the facilities at the time. I was shocked, and I've seen some shit. Luna's never raised her wand at a friend before. Technically she still hadn't, but my point stands._

_Okay, maybe she had a point. Parkinson _is_…not unattractive, and her nose is alright, it just took her a while to grow into it. Fine. she's pretty. But WHY did Luna suddenly give a shit? I've called Parkinson worse in front of her before? I don't know._

_Dear Diary,_

_Saturday_

_ I hate St. Mungos. It's so horrible here. Thank gods Luna will be out of here soon. There's only so much they can do for her, but she offhandly mentioned not being to chuffed about it. She said Delphi had an idea that could help her with her missing arm. I'm scared to ask what._

_ I wandered around after the nurse kicked me out of the room. And I found myself wandering into the permanent spell-damage ward. I saw Lockhart briefly. That utter cunt, trying to erase my brother's memories. And Harry's. He deserves to be in Azkaban, not being fed hospital pudding by a nurse he probably wanks off to when nobody's looking. Tonks told me the Aurors will never let him hold a wand again, and the Nurses aren't allowed wands around him that aren't secured in case he tries to make a break for it if he recovers any of his memories. And there's always two of them in the room in case he tries anything else._

_I hope he makes a break for it and the Aurors put him down like they should've done when the took him from the Castle. He deserves to die for abandoning me. He deserves to die for what he tried to do to Harry and my brother. It's only LUCK that they aren't vegetables. They said he was unusually gifted with ERASING PEOPLE'S MEMORIES. WHY DID ANYONE THINK IT WAS AN OKAY IDEA TO PUT HIM IN A SCHOOL WITH 11-18 YEAR OLD GIRLS?_

_I don't even want to think too hard about my first year, because now I'm scared that there's a high-likely hood that he was using his talent to cover up sexual assaults as well, and nobody would know. Imperio, obliviate. Nobody would see it coming, and no witnesses to report him._

_Dear Diary_

_Tuesday_

_ I met Neville's parents today. Like, properly was introduced to them by him and his grandmother who were visiting._

_They look so young. One of the treatments they were given after they were made to watch as their beloved's minds were torn to shreds in front of each other the 'incident' was some kind of long-term stasis ritual to try and give the healers as much time as they could get to put them right. They were like twenty when they lost everything. I just can't even imagine going through what they did. It's just too horrible._

_ Alice walked up to me, and sort of mumbled something to herself, and touched my hair. Then she smelled it and shook her head and walked back to Frank; he was totally unresponsive the whole time. They look like they're in their early twenties still._

_It was strange. Horrifying really._

_Madam Longbottom thought it was fascinating. I obviously missed something because I didn't have a clue what was going on. I left pretty soon after that to go back to the room my friends were in._

_ On a more positive note, Lockhart attacked some tiny woman who was in the Creature Injury ward. She was a newly infected werewolf apparently. That's not the good part. That was actually sort of shitty. The GOOD part is that she killed him. Werewolves in human form actually have traits that carry over, they vary from extra hair to sharper teeth, etc. Lupin grew nearly half a foot taller than he was supposed to, permanent damage from one of his earlier shifts he said._

_This little lady, the one Lockhart tired to do gods know what to, (I KNOW what he was trying to do, I just don't want to say the word here. this diary is my only holy place, and I won't have it tainted by that horrible man.). She had enhanced strength. She fucking crushed his throat in when she flipped him off of her. She was sitting against her bed with blood on her hands when the nurses came in._

_Kingsley was one of the responding Aurors and he was quick to declare it self-defense, I don't think anybody wanted to spend political capital trying to push through anti-werewolf legislation in defelse of a criminal like Lockhart. Too many of the Wizangamot had children or grandchildren at Hogwarts for them to attempt retribution._

_The tiny werewolf woman understandably left the hospital. She had every right to yell at her nurses that they let a dangerous lunatic out and about. I mean, maybe a bit bold coming from a werewolf, but I wish I caught her name so I could send her a thank-you letter._

_Dear Diary,_

_Wednesday_

_ Delphi sent me a letter. She said she wanted to talk to me alone. I don't know what to write back? She said she wanted to know about Tom. Her father. Gods, she even looks like him; I don't know why I didn't see him in her face earlier. They have the same nose, and the same eyes. Otherwise she's all Bellatrix… I don't know what's up with her blonde and blue hair though. Maybe she was a rebellious teen or something? I suppose that excuse wouldn't exactly work now she was well into her twenties? Also, who would she have been rebelling against. None of know a damn thing about her life, not really._

_She wants to know what he was like before 'he destroyed himself for power'. I think she was really shaken by seeing him as he is now. Probably more shook by the fact that she actually had to duel him, even if it was brief. I don't think their meeting went at all how she wanted it too. I didn't hear what was said between them because of the barrier she had set up, but they were clearly talking to each other. And by the time the Aurors and Minister arrived…he fled alone, and she was in tears. But she magicked them away before the ministry people saw her devastated expression. I think only me, Pansy, Tonks, and probably Luna saw it. Oh, Harry too. Delphi was unharmed, none of his spells came anywhere near her really, so we knew it wasn't a physical pain._

_So she wants to talk to me. I don't think she wants to join HIM. And then there's the whole situation regarding Bellatrix. Gods, how she'll handle that, I have no idea._

_But I'm still so nervous. Delphi scares me. She's definitely a human with feelings and shit, but she's also the sadistic sociopath who PUT HER TRENCH KNIFE THROUGH UMBRIDGE'S SKULL like it was nothing, and then threatened to torture Parkinson._

_I have no idea what to do about this situation…do I say 'sure delphi, you're welcome anytime!'? Wait, you know what? I think I'll ask I can have someone else there; even if it's just one of my friends. Probably Hermione or Luna. Maybe Tonks or Bill. I don't think I'll want my family to hear what interacting with Tom was like, so Bill's probably out. It's just _different _when it's family, you know? Of course you do, you're a fucking diary, just paper and leather sewn together by magic and fancy old-timey thread for the aesthetic._

_Dear Diary,_

_Thursday_

_ I talked to Fleur about talking to Delphi. I expressed my fears about how she was casually a violent maniac, and how actually terrified I was that she wanted me to tell her about VOLDEMORT her dad._

_ Fleur's advice was pragmatic if not encouraging. She basically said that Delphi would probably get the information from me one way or all the others, and the fact that she was asking politely was something I should probably jump on. She didn't even flinch when I described to her what Delphi had done to Umbridge or Pansy. Maybe somebody else had told her about it? Fleur was weirdly optimistic about me seeing Delphi. I'll ask her about it next week, assuming I survived the meeting with Delphi._

_ So I sent Delphi a letter yesterday saying that we would meet at a pub in muggle London, and that Tonks and Luna would be with me. Luna asked if she could bring Pansy. WHY? Whatever, more witnesses the better I guess? I suppose Pansy isn't the _worst. She _has been to see Luna most days during her stay in the hospital. They're friends now I suppose. If Luna can get over her being one of the Inquisitorial Squad maybe I can try not to hex her under my breath every few minutes…actually I don't want Luna to hate me, so I'll be on my best behaviour._

_Why Pansy said she'd come to a meeting with Delphi of all people was one of the things that baffled me. Tonks on the other hand probably wanted to know her cousin better. She'd never really interacted with that side of her family, for understandable reasons. Andromeda Tonks had met Delphi, I think. And apparently it went as well as could be expected according to Tonks' letter saying she'd be willing to join me today._

_ Delphi's letter confirmed we'd meet tonight for supper. She casually mentioned there was a 'football game' (whatever the fuck that is. Tonks tells me it's a muggle sport, the most popular one,) on she was also interested in, so the pub setting worked out. She also said she was bringing Bellatrix._

_ On one hand, I sort of expected that given how _things_ had gone down at the ministry, and then the later talks with the new minister and Amelia Bones, in addition to the Order. Apparently Delphi was either extremely persuasive, or she was easily the most powerful human on the continent. I hope it's the former._

_ So Tonks is giving me a funny look, Luna and Pansy are watching the 'TV' nearest us. Tonks told me 'The North London Derby' between 'Spurs' and 'Arsenal' was apparently a much-enjoyed fixture, especially in recent years. I suppose I understand why Tonks told me not to wear red. I get the feeling it would not have gone down well with the local crowd, a significant number of whom were decked out in blue and white. Whatever._

_ I think I just heard an eerily familiar peal of laughter. Albeit much more joyous and high-pitched than I remember from the ministry. Yep. I can see Delphi and Bellatrix crossing the street. Well, I hope this goes well._


	4. Meeting Mum:Battle of the DoM Part I

CHAPTER 4: Meeting Bellatrix

Nymphadora Tonks was minding her own business in the generous kitchen of Nº12 Grimmauld Place when Snape marched through the fireplace and shouted, "The Dark Lord has made his move!"

Needless to say, the Order members gathered quite quickly around to hear what he had to say. "What do you mean you left him with Umbridge!" Sirius shouted at him.

"I left him there so I could get _here_ in time to warn you all, you foolish mutt!" Snape spat back, matching Sirius' tone.

"Enough!" Alastor Moody thundered before the two schoolyard enemies drew their wands on each other. "What did Potter say exactly?"

Snape took a moment to gather his composure before responding, "He said, 'He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden'. I think the boy has been _shown _a vision by the Dark Lord for the purposes of having the dunce retrieve it himself. It would also be the perfect opportunity to kill the boy now that he's out from Dumbledore's beard." Snape finished snidely.

Despite the obvious peril of the situation, Nymphadora struggled to smother her amusement at the image of Harry literally hiding behind Albus Dumbledore's epic beard. "So we tell him I'm here!" Sirius responded before whipping out his wand, "_Accio_!" A mirror flew down the stairs and landed in his hand. "HARRY!" he shouted into the mirror. Tonks couldn't exactly see what was happening but her mother's cousin certainly wasn't pleased.

"If we are walking into a trap where we can reasonably expect Death Eaters, we should bring Dumbledore with us," Remus Lupin spoke up from his position in the doorway. His nearly two-metre frame was only accentuated by the gauntness in his face and his well-worn clothing. In Nymphadora's honest opinion, the man looked like a character drawn straight from one of the animated Tim Burton films she adored.

"You can wait for Kingsley since I contacted him second," Snape started, "But waiting for Dumbledore may just lead to dead children. When have any of us known the old man to show up when he's needed most? I sent my patronus to the Headmaster the first thing after leaving Umbridge's office."

The Head of Slytherin's words were cutting, but despite Tonks' reflex to counter him, she saw her mentor's face settle into a grim sort of agreement with their resident spy.

The horror of dead children on their minds kept them occupied for the next couple minutes until Tonks couldn't help but venture, "How do we even know they left Hogwarts?"

Snape shifted uncomfortably, "Three students of mine came straight to my office, and told me that a mysterious woman in haunted black showed up and butchered Dolores Umbridge in front of them."

"WOT?" Sirius roared.

"Did I stutter, Black? There was a woman who showed up and killed Umbridge. From what the girl, Bullstrode, told me, this woman taunted the former Headmistress after she was interrupted attempting to use the Cruciatus on Potter."

"THE WHAT!" Sirius wasn't the only one who shouted that one.

"I obviously put everything aside and went to the office in question, having no idea things had become that dire. Truly, I believed she'd try to expel the boy and his little gang, not result to Death Eater-like methods," Snape said a little quieter. "When I arrived, the other children were gone, but there was a large puddle of blood and brain matter upon simple testing did indeed belong to one Dolores Umbridge. There was no evidence of any further violence, which leads me to believe this mystery woman either abducted the children, or accompanied them, since neither hide nor tail has been seen of any of them since earlier this afternoon."

Fortuitously Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared from the fireplace at that moment, "The Ministry's been breached. The Aurors have been alerted, but the breach came from the Department of Mysteries. We must go now! Alastor and I can get us around the security measures in place and straight into the Department."

Tonks put down her cup of cocoa, wondering absently if this was the last time she'd have it, and whatever would her mother say; Andromeda was livid with her for joining the Order of the Phoenix. "Black, you and I must remain." Tonks looked up to see Snape's hand holding Sirius back.

"You think I'm going to coward behind the walls of my mother's home while my godson is in danger? I think not, Snivellus!" Sirius hissed back as he hastily pulled on a coat.

"How would Harry ever forgive himself if you fell today old friend," Lupin said with a slightly more pleading tone. "Please consider this!"

"Moony, I love you, but there is no version of this in which I don't come to his aide. Not one. I will always be there for him; and _if _I die tonight, I'll die knowing that I did my level best to keep that beautiful boy as safe as I could. How could I ever live with myself if I do anything less than James and Lily?" Sirius whispered as he glanced around the room once more, daring anyone to challenge him.

"Fucking die then, you imbecile," Snape muttered darkly before turning on his heel and flaring his cape while leaving the rest of them to depart. Sirius Black smirked darkly at Severus Snape's retreating figure before turning into the fireplace and intoning "Ministry of Magic."

Alastor Moody shook his head muttering, "Bloody drama queens," before following Sirius through the fire. The rest followed.

The Ministry was a shambles. Tonks openly gasped as the fire spat her out into what seemed a battleground. There were craters all over the place, and distant shouting accompanied by a cackle that could only come from one heinous woman: Auntie Bella.

Lupin, Nymphadora, Kingsley, Sirius, and Moody bolted forward. They were in the Department of Mysteries, but there was damage everywhere. "What did this?" Tonks gasped as she sprinted past a crater in the wall that hadn't cooled down, dripping molten rock.

She didn't get a response as they came across their first corpse: a Death Eater. It looked like he's been blown in half, though he was also missing part of his face. It was grisly, and only Moody resisted the urge to retch a little.

"Whatever did _that_," the seasoned Auror intoned as he pushed ahead.

**_A few minutes earlier_**

"Show some respect Potter, you're talking to your betters," Lucius sneered. Delphi was rolling her eyes at how boring this posturing conversation had become. It really was just a showcase of how much Dumbledore was keeping from the boy, and how much her father's servants could embarrass themselves by trying and largely failing to intimidate a fifteen year old. With a quick jab of her wand, she immobilized both Pansy and Draco. She also placed a couple layers of invisible shielding around them to avoid pointless collateral damage when things got heated. Because she _knew _that the wands would come out so to speak. She covered the slight hum of the barriers around the two Slytherin teenagers by raising her voice and making her presence known to all present.

"Betters?" Delphi asked with faux innocent tone. The Death Eaters were all instantly on guard at the new voice. They were perplexed as a masked woman as tall as Lucius and wearing darker clothes than them appeared from shadows. She casually summoned the prophecy out of Potter's hand to her own, and swiftly decloaked her disillusionment charm and revealing her towering masked self. Or, as close as she could come to showing herself; the nature of the black clothes she wore made everything but her eyes a functional silhouette. "That's a little bold for a pureblood licking the boots of a half-blood peasant isn't it now?" The children flinched. She was standing between them and the Death Eaters, and the Death Eaters valued the strange little orb, the kids didn't care for it worth a damn.

It was probably the shock of her sudden appearance that prevented the other Death-Eaters from opening up with a barrage of spells. "Who the hell are you?" a baritone voice asked from somewhere behind Lucius.

"That's quite the question isn't it…Rowle?" Delphi trailed off with an honest question.

"Yes," the hulking two-metre tall wall of muscle replied.

"How _is _Euphemia doing?" Delphi asked with a tone that sent chills down nearly everyone's spine. Not Bellatrix's though, Delphi's playful tone of pure malice came from her after all.

"What the–how the bloody fuck do you know about Euphie?" Thorfin Rowle replied with real anger, and a little fear at the obviously personal malice the new player had for his _wife_.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Delphi replied airily, mostly putting a cap on her bloodlust for the moment. She waved the prophecy around as she made a wavy hand-gesture. "So, your boss want's this ball right?"

"Yes. And the _Dark Lord _will have it. It's why he wanted Potter here to retrieve it himself, since only a subject of the prophecy can retrieve it," Lucius replied tersely.

"I didn't though," Harry muttered before Hermione jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow. But his voice carried.

"What do you mean?" Bellatrix asked.

"I retrieved it. Plucked right off the shelf," Delphi replied with an obvious smirk in her voice. Despite the Death Eaters only able to see her eerily bright eyes in the darkness framed by her pale blonde and sapphire blue hair, they could see she was enjoying this. "What was it you said Luci? Only a subject of the prophecy could touch it on the shelf?" There were baffled expressions from the few Death Eaters who had unmasked themselves, and less-than-subtle glances to Bellatrix and Lucius from the ones who still bore their anonymity.

"You Lie!" Bellatrix shouted.

"She's not." a high-pitched male said from her side. Bellatrix and Lucius looked to the shorter man with dark eyes in shock. They obviously believed him on this.

"And your authority on the matter is?" Delphi asked politely.

"As if I'd tell you, Mudblood," he replied

Delphi chuckled at that insult, "Oh, if only you knew."

"Did the Dark Lord miscalculate?" Lucius furiously muttered to Bellatrix.

Bellatrix considered crippling her shit of a brother-in-law, but decided it would make them look weak if she doled out internal justice in front of impressionable children likely to spread lies on the off chance any of them left this place alive. Disunity among the Death Eaters severed them very little. The recent Azkaban escapee regarded the new woman with suspicion. There was something about her that was _disturbing_, and she wasn't exactly sure why; uncertainty was a feeling Bellatrix very much despised.

"Lets test something why don't we? Nobody panic," Delphi added as she reached out with her off hand and snapped her fingers, shattering random orb from one of the other shelves. A misty form of a little girl dressed in a long dress began intoning a prophecy in Swedish. Since nobody present understood Swedish, they just sort of waited awkwardly for the prophecy girl to finish speaking. Lucius looked to Dolohov, but the Russian wizard just shot back an annoyed, 'not all foreigners understand each other, you arse!' glare.

"I assume that had a point?" Bellatrix drawled. "Or were you just showing off?"

"Both," Delphi replied. "It's an honour to meet _you_ by the way. I've admired you all my life," Delphi's words confused the hell out of _everyone_. "You're sort of my hero, from a certain perspective," Delphi spoke with a surprisingly sombre tone.

"Oh? And why is that?" Bellatrix asked, masking her confusion with a chuckle.

"Depending on how all this goes down, I may just tell you afterwards over a pint at the nearest pub. But until then," Delphi smashed the prophecy on the ground before anybody could say anything. A woman burst forth from the mist and intoned:

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."_

"So that's a lot to process," Delphi said as the misty woman disappeared and all that remained of the orb was shattered glass.

"The prophecy clearly refers to Potter!" Lucius shouted at Delphi. "There is NO possibility of you being a candidate for this prophecy!"

"Isn't there?" Delphi shrugged. "Would you like me to go line by line?"

Despite tensions being high, none of the gathered individuals were exactly idiots, and the mystery of the prophecy was at the core of each respective struggle. So for the moment, Death Eaters and Students were united in mutual curiosity. "Is there something you'd like to say, Bellatrix?"

"Longbottom. Longbottom was born at the end of July," she said darkly. "It was why we were there after our Lord fell in Godric's hollow."

"You're far more lucid than I was led to believe," Delphi said with a masked smile. But before Bellatrix could reply to such a backhanded compliment, her most famous victims' son spoke up.

"You went after my parents based on this? You tortured them based on two lines said by some woman?" Neville asked with barely restrained hatred.

"And the Dark Lord went after Potter for the same reason, didn't he?" Delphi summed up.

"Yes." the 'authority on prophecies' spoke up again.

"Why do you call him the Dark Lord?" Hermione spoke up with a betrayed tone.

"He worked very hard for that title. It's only fair he be called such. So long as one remembers he's also a human being and shouldn't _always _be put on such a pedestal," Delphi replied casually.

"So Neville and Harry's parents were Order members, and encountered him a few times, and are both born at the end of July," Ginny spoke up, thinking aloud.

"Right. But None of that explains how Delphi was able to take the Prophecy down from the shelf." Hermione said.

"Your name is Delphi?" Bellatrix smirked.

"Yeah. Blame my mum," Delphi snarked back.

"When is your birthday?" Lucius asked; looking pained at such a mundane question in a situation like this.

"September 30th," Delphi replied promptly.

"That's not July," Ron pointed out the obvious.

"Sept means seven." Luna said, speaking up for the first time. "September used to be the seventh month, it's why it's called _Sept_ember."

"That's a technicality. And false considering the context" Hermione muttered.

"It's a prophecy. It's bonkers from the get go," Delphi shrugged unrepentantly.

"You wouldn't have risked your sanity and life if you weren't sure," Bellatrix growled. She was shaking with rage, her master had been thwarted, again. And it was partially her fault. And this _uppity bitch _was having a laugh about them. "You obviously fulfil some of the qualities named here, but you're a woman. Unless those tits are fake?" Bellatrix sneered.

Delphi laughed for real. It was more of a cackle, even if it was heartfelt. It was slightly disturbing, especially for Bellatrix, who _knew _that laugh like the back of her own hand. It was _her _laugh. There was suddenly a dread in her gut as she looked at this laughing woman who clearly had all the confidence in the world. "Who are you?" Bellatrix.

"First off, I'm a metamorphagus," Delphi replied with a grin at the gasps of those around her. "Secondly, I was technically born with male genitals, which fulfils the prophecy, as archaic as that is. But I've _ALWAYS _been a girl. It just took me a little while to realise it, and then I was able to _make it show to everyone else_. It turns out it wasn't just accidental magic, but a dormant genetic quirk from my pureblood mingling with my grandfather's muddy muggle blood." Delphi said with a serious tone for the first time. "The Dark Lord 'marking me as his equal' is a bit more complicated, as is the three instances of defiance bit. But they are both technically fulfilled albeit in a roundabout fashion. And for the last bit, the 'neither can live while the other survives'? That's as vague as it gets. That's a clusterfuck of philosophical interpretations in a bottle there. It may seem simple. But the fact I'm _here _at all means it's actually complicated as hell. And yeah, I'm holding a pretty crucial part of the puzzle from you all."

Bellatrix was trying to wrap her head around everything the girl just said. She searched her memories, and realised that if her assumption was true, she probably had about year of her life obliviated from her memories before she was sent to Azkaban. If Rodolphus or his beast of a brother Rabastan were responsible for what she was beginning to fear…

The feeling of dread in Bellatrix's gut grew as Delphi's bright eyes locked with hers properly for the first time. Bellatrix took a shaky step forward, mirrored by Delphi, and asked in a soft tone that surprised even her. Her name? Delphi was short for something, and if she was truly what Bellatrix was beginning to suspect, she gasped. The Death Eater master torturer's mind landed on a name that would fit her family's traditions and indeed shorten to the diminutive 'Delphi'. "Is your name Delphini?" Bellatrix asked with nearly maternal tone none in attendance had heard before; not even her husband. The woman's laugh, her irreverent posture and mannerisms, the _eyes_, Delphi's words that the reveal of having a metamorph hereditary trait in her family if her Auror niece was anything to judge by…it all led to a very specific assumption. The girl was a Black. And Bellatrix may be a madwoman who tortures for fun, but apparently she was something else too that put a whole new perspective on her life; even if she couldn't remember carrying or giving birth to the girl. So despite her better instincts, she let her guard down.

Delphi reached out her right hand tentatively to her mother's left arm just above the elbow and leaned into her personal space. Delphi's voice was tender, but it wasn't private. She wanted everyone else to hear. "Hey mum, I'm going to save you from dad. I'll fix this, I promise you," before anybody could react, her free hand went behind her and made a sharp fist, signalling Harry to enact whatever plan he had concocted while she was distracting the Death Eaters.

As Harry shouted "NOW!" reductor curses flew into the shelves around them, shattering orbs and breaking shelves; causing general mayhem. A couple of the curses were absorbed by Delphi's barrier she placed around Draco and Pansy, leaving the pair unharmed.

Untouched in the middle of the pandemonium, Bellatrix's emotions were being whipped around like a jump-rope. She had a _daughter_. A Daughter who was fated to apparently kill the Dark Lord. A daughter who's hand was still clasped around her arm. "This is going to hurt, mum. But I'm going to save you I swear," Delphi's voice was far more emotional than Bellatrix had ever heard it. Bellatrix had never been so off-kilter before, especially not in the middle of a firefight. Her daughter, _Delphini,_ she reminded herself, placed her wand on her mother's Dark Mark as her opposite hand tightened around her upper arm. Before Delphi's magic ignited, Bellatrix had an instant where she knew what was about to happen. She began to raise her own wand to protect herself, but it went flying as agony that triumphed over even the _Cruciatus _curse seared through every nerve in her left arm. She saw a gleam of green fire and the horrid smell of burning flesh before Bellatrix blacked out.

The Death Eaters had chased the children; either they believed Bellatrix a lost cause, or capable of handling Delphi one on one. Delphi looked down at her handy-work, casually raising her wand to send several dark cutting curses towards the elder Malfoy to keep him at bay. The spell she used was in Parseltongue, and it was about as dark as it got; it was called Soul Sunder. Taking a near-blade-like form, it destroyed the soul-magic of whatever the user set it upon. In this case, Delphini had sundered the bond between her Dark Lord father and her mother, by _annulling _the Dark Mark on her arm. Bellatrix was now free from the Mark, and all it entailed. Unfortunately, Delphi didn't know how to do that without also completely amputating said arm up past the elbow. At least it was cauterized. But the anaemia along with the pain it brought on was too much for the woman still recovering from Azkaban's horrors. Perhaps Bellatrix would have remained conscious had she been in her prime, but those days were long behind her. Delphi pointed her wand downward, incinerating her mother's wand. Delphi may love her mum, but she wasn't an idiot; Bellatrix wouldn't let down her guard again.

The vicious daughter lifted her mother onto her shoulder in a fire fighter's carry. She swished her wand in her left hand to strengthen the immobilization charm on Draco and Pansy. The other children all bolted through the door they came through, followed by the majority of the Death Eaters, except the two masked idiots who took too much glass to the face and throat. They were dead.

"I need you two to stay here. I'll come back for you later," Delphi said as she wiped sweat from her face.

"Don't kill my dad," Draco nearly whimpered to her.

Delphi met his gaze evenly and replied, "_If _I fight him, and he hasn't killed, maimed, or violated anybody; I'll return to him the same spells he fires at me. I'm not going to promise you more than that, _cousin_." Delphi shifted the unconscious Bellatrix to emphasise her last word. Draco paled as he finally understood and accepted that Bellatrix's terrifying daughter stood before him. He thought back to those horrible moments in Umbridge's office and realised that she _really _was going to hurt Pansy to get them to talk.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

Delphi nodded to both of them before turning back toward where the fight had fled to. "Delphi?"

Bellatrix's daughter turned around to face the girl she nearly tortured and asked, "Yes, Ms. Parkinson?"

"Please let me keep Luna safe." Pansy rushed out in an almost embarrassed voice. But it was a strong plea none the less.

Delphi raised an eyebrow, "You're aware it's likely you'll be killed if you come with me right? Possibly taken prisoner and violated by the Dark Lord's forces. Because that's who we'll be fighting."

"I owe her," Pansy said. "She stopped me from being tortured by you."

"She did save you back there," Delphi admitted. "You turn your wand on me or your classmates and I'll put an _Avada Kedavra _into your face, understand?"

"Yes," Pansy breathed.

"I didn't take you for a turncoat. You're parents might be here, and it's entirely possible they'll die tonight," Delphi pointed out. "How do I know you'll keep your word?"

"My father's a rapist. And he's here. And my mum defends him," Pansy confessed.

"Your dad rapes you?" Delphi asked softly, completely taken aback by where this conversation had led.

Pansy vehemently shook her head, "No. Never me. He's never even slapped me. But he made us listen to him…talk about when he did _that_ to a muggle family, all of them. He said I needed to see how weak the Mudbloods were."

Pansy continued with a fierce look in her eye, "It was just his words. I didn't really get it. Not until one of the older boys tried to hurt _me _like that during the Yule Ball. I stunned the drunk piece of shit, and hexed his cock off. But it was scary, and I didn't really _get it_ until then. He made another girl feel that _dread, _but_ worse_. That's when it hit me what kind of man he was. And mum supports him."

"And you supported Umbridge and the Dark Lord in school why?" Delphi asked innocently enough.

"Political reasons. I'm not an idiot. I'm _not _going to be on the losing side, and Dumbledore's getting weak, losing his influence in the Ministry; and continued disasters at Hogwarts weakens his position internationally as well." Pansy sighted, "But if the side against the Dark Lord has someone who can do _that,_" she looked at Bellatrix, "to his most powerful follower without blinking, then maybe it's time to switch sides. Also you horrify me."

Delphi smiled widely at the girl behind her mask, "You know, Pansy, that might just be the nicest thing _anybody_ has ever said to me. Truly."

Pansy didn't know exactly what to say to that, so she just kept her mouth shut.

Delphi waved her hand, undoing the barrier on Pansy and cancelling the immobilization spells. "I'm going to leave Mum here. Don't hurt her or listen to her if she wakes up before I'm gone. After this is all over, I'm going to force you to live this fight from somebody's memories, probably the person who's hurt worst; you know, for empathy." Delphi said to Draco as she fired a stunner into her mother's chest for a good measure before setting up another barrier to conceal and protect her mum for the next hour or so. She tapped herself and vanished from Draco's view, and put herself and Pansy under another disillusionment charm. And then she made herself visible again. "I forgot the important part of my plan, dummy," Delphi muttered to herself.

She reached into her pocket and picked out a rat. She forced him back into his proper form: Peter Pettigrew, "_Imperio,"_ She then took a flask out of her infinite pocket as well. She plucked a hair from Bellatrix's head, and put it into the flask. She closed it and shook it up. The two students were watching her mutely, both had a very good idea of how this little plan was going to go. She handed the flask to the imperious Wormtail and said, "Drink all of this and then stand still."

He did. He looked exactly like Bellatrix. "_Scourgify_, _maxima_," Delphi intoned as she completely annihilated any trace of Pettigrew from the Victorian suit that the rat somehow thought suited him. With a quick switching spell, Bellatrix was now on the floor clothed in Pettigrew's newly cleansed attire, and Wormtail now wore Bellatrix's Death Eater robes. Delphi looked at her mother's doppelgänger and stepped back to where the children were before everything started, and directed Pettigrew to where Bellatrix was standing. With a vicious gesture, glass shards shredded Wormtail's throat. A quick _Reducto_ to the side of his rib cage, causing a bad wound. Delphi then forced him to where near one of the shelves completely collapsed and levitated it, had him lay underneath it, and then dropped it on him, crushing his chest. And just like that, Wormtail was no more. "There, now when mum disappears, it'll be totally understandable. Because this is fool proof," Delphi congratulated herself.


	5. Avada Kedavra:Battle of the Dom Part II

CHAPTER: Meeting Tom Riddle: Battle of the D.o.M. Part II

After a quick "_Incarcerous," _from Delphi, the two were off. It was only sensible to restain Bellatrix with more than just an immobilization spell; chains worked too. Pansy jogged behind and Delphi ginned eagerly as they ran through the different rooms, arriving in the room that spins all the doors. Delphi rolled her eyes and just chose one and rushed through it. She was confident enough in her reflexes that she'd be able to dodge curses even if she was making herself a target. In a room with floating planets she encountered a few Death Eaters who were apparently shite at hide-and-seek. She didn't spare these ones. She didn't even give them a decent chance; craters formed where here blasting curses landed, splattering the unfortunate servants of the Dark Lord around the floor and the walls. The craters turned the rock to glowing liquid rock. "Holy shit," Pansy breathed, astonished at the casual display of unadulterated power; but Delphi just raced past the fresh corpses, cursing herself. She took too long with her mother, and now some the kids might die. Not that she liked them all that much, but it would be harder to explain herself after the fact if say…half of them died.

They ran through a room full of shattered tanks. The water was ankle deep and Delphine _flew_ across the room without soiling her shoes. Delphi was ecstatic she learned how to _fly_ without using anything but her own power. Pansy wasn't so lucky. She muttered a few filthy words in response to her socks becoming drenched. But before Pansy and Delphi got to the next room Delphi paused, levitating above the water, hearing her 'caretaker's' husband, Thorfin Rowle, growling at someone.

"Hey there Ginger! You think you can take us on? I promise we'll start with you, so you won't have to watch what we do to Xeno's little bitch after you've had your fill!" Delphi heard a voice taunt as she passed another door. She turned and nudged it open, revealing a room that had taken much damage. There was a brain with tentacles floating around, and it was carrying one of the students, whose spine was bent at an unnatural angle.

He was dead. It was Ron Weasley. _Fuck_.

Delphi raised her wand at the brain who's tentacles were _really_ beginning to mangle Ron's corpse even further, and announced her presence with, "_Avada Kedavra." _The verdant jet caught the eye of everyone else in the room as it smashed into the brain, knocking it out of the air. It landed in a heap with Ron's body. Pansy nearly wretched at the squelching snap the brain and Ron's corpse made hitting the floor. If he was alive before, he wasn't going anywhere with his spine now sticking out of his back.

"Fuck." Delphi muttered aloud as she took stock of the two other kids in the room, taking cover behind the overturned desk: Ginny and Luna. Ginny was sobbing uncontrollably as Luna fired stunners over the overturned desk. Pansy rushed over to help her Ravenclaw classmate, while Delphi stood by the door, sending a couple covering hexes so Pansy could move to her fellow-students unmolested.

Delphi lithely dodged another couple bone-breaker curses Rowle threw her way as she made her way over to the kids. "Hey! Get your head back on your shoulders!" she yelled at Ginny, slapping her lightly as she sat down next to her, avoiding a nasty cutting curse that gouged deep into the wall.

"He's dead, he's dead," Ginny whimpered. Delphi looked down at the devastated young woman with a flicker of pity. One of the other Death Eaters in the room who yelled something truly vile that made even Delphi shudder. Ginnny seemed to regain a little composure and turned, rising to her knees as she screamed out "_Crucio!"_

Her spell connected with force, but no control, at all. So instead of writing on the ground, the Death Eater that was now screaming was thrown backwards _hard _into one of the shelves filled with books. "You'll have to do better than that, you filthy little blood traitor! You really need to _enjoy _the screams, otherwise you might as well just not bother," Rowle shouted as his comrade got back to his feet. And the bookshelf he had smashed into toppled over. He screamed before he disappeared from sight. Everybody heard the horrific crunching noise as his voice abruptly cut off. He was gone. And Ginny was looking in horror at what she'd done. Rowle raised his wand, but Delphi was faster; yanking the ginger girl back behind cover as yet another Killing Curse soared through the space she occupied a second earlier. Delphi closed her eyes in frustration. On one hand, she could reveal how strong she really was, probably get everyone _else _out alive, but then things might go badly later. She had _no _idea if Dumbledore would set his acolytes on her. Granted, she could swat them down like flies, even Moody. But she _really _didn't want Nymphadora Tonks to hate her. She was _family_, and the only other Metamorphagus she'd ever heard of. Maybe they could talk about it? She never really had a friend like that before. Delphi shook her head, she was distracting herself again. For now, she'd keep her strength under wraps unless something drastic happened in front of her.

Firing a couple cutting hexes and a gout of flame Rowle's way to keep him busy, Delphi looked at Luna, "How did Ron die?" Ginny resumed her sobbing even more intensely than before.

Luna replied quietly, "When we were in the last room with the tank, one of the Death Eater's killing curses broke the tank. The rush of water distracted us. It was only for a moment. Ron pushed me out of the way as another Killing Curse was about to hit me. Ron was looking right at me when it happened." Luna's eyes were dangerously wide now, "After that, the brain grabbed his body and started _breaking_ it. I'm going to miss him. I haven't felt like this in years." Luna's voice was emotionless, which really just made her words haunting. And Delphi knew the death hadn't really hit her yet. Oh boy. She didn't particularly want to be there for the fallout.

"Then stay _alive_ and make his sacrifice worthwhile," Delphi replied. It probably wasn't the best advice, definitely a little callous; but she really didn't know what else to say.

"I'm with you," Pansy said to the younger blonde as she put a hand on Luna's shoulder. Delphi looked at them both, baffled at the closeness the girls were exhibiting, but decided to ignore it for now. It really wasn't her business after all. And if it helped the little shits get out of here alive, all the better.

Rowle's bellowing '_Avada Kedavra' _over and over was getting annoying. Delphi had never actually met Thorfin Rowle when she was 'raised' by his wife for all those _terrible _years. He had died during her cousin Draco's assassination plot the night Dumbledore died, according to what Delphi was able to find out years later.

But the Dark Lord's daughter was pretty certain Mr. Rowle was as much of an asshole as his wife, and having met him, she was _very glad _she wasn't raised in the same house as him. "Oi, Rowle, do you know what Euphie's favourite colour is?" Delphi shouted over the makeshift barricade.

"Wh–," Rowle was in the middle of replying before Delphi stood from cover, advanced on him, and laid down a barrage of dark purple curses that the three teenage girls could feel the malevolence of from behind the desk. They didn't dare peek over the desk, so they were both sitting straight staring at the wall in front of them.

The girls were "_AVADA KEDAVRA!" _Thorfin Rowle screamed. Green magic flared brightly, and for an instant the girls saw Delphi's shadow silhouette illuminated on the wall, her arm looked like it was reaching toward him. And then there was silence.

There was a muffled thump as the girls looked at each other in fear. _Did Delphi just die?_ But it was for naught, "Hey, you three should probably come out, we've got to find the others, yeah?" Delphi's unmistakable voice sounded out. Ginny was first to peek out from under cover and saw Rowle's body lying unmarked with cold dead eyes wide in an expression of surprise. Ginny looked to Delphi, but she looked _fine_, so what the hell happened? She hadn't _said _the curse herself.

"What?" Pansy started but then stopped because Delphi was on the move again.

They didn't have to get far before they heard more voices shouting spells, but none louder than Harry Potter bellowing _"Hermione!" _and Hermione Granger's keening scream.

"Hermione!" Ginny started sprinting as she heard her friend's screams.

The room they entered was the room of the Veil of Death. Hermione was lying on her back, twitching as Neville ripped off his over shirt and was obviously trying to staunch the bloody wound on her chest. "You two keep Granger alive, Ginny, Harry and I'll deal with the filth," Delphi growled as she started slinging spells at Antonin Dolohov, who was the one who downed Granger. Ginny fired stunners at him, having decided to downgrade from using Unforgivables. The Veil's spectral whispering seemed to grow louder in their ears, like Death was just _closer _in this room.

Harry Potter was sending more advanced jinxes, but Dolohov was quick and talented; far more so than the fifteen-year-old. Neville Longbottom were still standing, sort of. Neville had obviously broken his nose, and was holding half a wand, _great_, Delphi thought while Neville Pansy, and Luna tended to Hermione. Purple flames erupted from Dolohov's wand, following his non-verbal slashing movements. Harry had the good sense to dodge out of the way, but without Delphi conjuring stone masonry to intercept the final wave of flame, Potter would have been in trouble.

That was when Lucius and another four Death Eaters in masks entered from the door behind Dolohov. "Good work Antonin," Lucius clapped his comrade on the back as she stepped forward and undid the silencing jinx. "So, you're Bellatrix's whelp. My Lord will reward me when I bring your traitorous self before him in chains," he sneered. "Did you kill her?" he asked with a smirk. Delphi just glared at him behind her mask. Of course he was delighted with Bellatrix's 'death', since now he was truly one of her father's only reliable lieutenants. Delphi knew then she was _really _going to struggle keeping her promise to Draco.

"Pansy!" one of the masked men yelled across the room. He ripped off his mask to reveal a man who looked an aweful lot like the female Parkinson in the room. Same nose, same jaw, and same hair, albeit far less well groomed than Pansy. _Men, _Delphi internally sneered. Lucius looked annoyed at Parkinson the Death Eater for stealing his thunder. "What are you doing! Get away from those fucking Blood Traitors! Strike them down like the mudblood loving filth they are!"

Everyone sort of stopped and had at least one eye on Pansy and the other on her father as she straightened up. Her hands were drenched in Hermione's wet blood and said, "No. You're the traitor. Your _Lord _doesn't serve Purebloods! How many of us did he send here to die tonight anyway? You're a fool if you think we'll ever become unquestionably superior with him for a leader. Might makes right, isn't that what you taught me all those years ago when you _made me listen _to their screams when you fucking _ruined _that family in the basement! That little girl's pleas for you to get off her _still _give me nightmares! You're a fucking monster! _You're _the real traitor to everything purebloods are supposed to be! Pansy was almost crying now.

Everybody was sort of shell-shocked by Pansy's outburst. Even the Gryffindors were looking at her in a new light. Delphi didn't realise the Parkinson girl had this much built up hatred. As far as she knew in the future, the girl left Britain after the war for Canada and nobody who knew her on this island ever heard from her again. She left everyone behind to find a new life for herself. _Maybe this was why_? Delphi turned her head back to the girl's rapist father.

Mr. Parkinson's incoherent shriek of rage caught everyone by surprise as he sent a brutal blasting curse at his daughter, who was frozen in horror at her father's sudden wrath.

There was a gut-wrenching keening as Luna reached out and shoved Pansy out of the way just in time, only to have her arm blown apart at the elbow. The blonde teenager's continuous screams of pain were jarring on a spiritual level. Luna Lovegood the one that everyone tacitly relied on to be cool, the composed one, the weird one yes, but always in control But she had completely lost her composure from the pain of having her arm destroyed, understandably so. Pansy's front was covered in gore as she pulled a nearly convulsing Luna into her arms, and picked up her wand with a sudden clarity she'd never experienced before. Pansy was quite an image, half her face face splashed in Luna's blood, her hair dark as coal, as she held onto her new friend who was well on her way to damaging her vocal cords. Luna's remaining hand unconsciously clasped onto one of Pansy's in a grip the Slytherin barely registered fractured two of her fingers. Pansy didn't care.

Pansy Parkinson looked into Luna's wild grey eyes darting around in frenzied pain, her mouth wide in another sobbing scream. And suddenlty, for the first time in Pansy's life there was absolute clarity of purpose.

Meanwhile, everyone else took a breath. "You really are a bastard aren't you?" Delphi declared as she raised her wand toward him. It turns out she needn't have bothered. But her words and subtle movement turned Mr. Parkinson's attention and his wand from the devastation he'd wrought upon Luna Lovegood to Delphi, just for a moment. But it was enough.

_"Avada Kedavra."_ Pansy almost _prayed_. It was as if she was excising the dark magic from her body. The silent _scream_ of darkened emerald flew across the space between combatant groups and nailed her father in the face. Mr. Parkinson didn't even whimper as the light left his eyes and he fell sideways onto Lucius, who threw the corpse off of him gracelessly.

There was a beat of silence (save for Luna's mewling groans) before every Death Eater raised their wand towards the daughter that just slew her father. Delphi jumped in between them, and drew her hidden second wand with a feral grin. She held out her arms to her sides, wand in each hand as if to say, 'resistance will be entertaining, but futile'.

**_Interlude_**

Now, Delphi had done her homework before she made her trip into the past. Breaking out of Azkaban was easier than it should be. After she killed that one idiot guard that thought he could have his way with her like he did with some of the other more vulnerable new prisoners…well, nobody really wanted to go near her again anyway. She was moved to the basement of the prison, permanent solitary; which was exactly what she needed to plan her inevitable escape.

Breaking into Potter's house after her flight from that shitty island prison and taking both of his wands as he and his wife slept was even easier. Middle age had made him embarrassingly complacent. Sure, he left some protections up, but nothing that could challenge _her._

She left the Potters alive. After all, they _had _beat her fair and square, mostly. Well not really. His declaration of '_I've never been alone'_ during their fight basically was saying, '_You're far too strong for me, and I'm shitting myself right now! So I brought my friends to bail me out yet again!' _Whatever. She let him, his son, his daughter, and Albus Severus, the cheeky little fuck live. She used Legillimency on him as he slept, seeing _all _his memories for research in preparation for her own leap to another timeline.

Delphi actually respected his wife. Ginny survived a duel with her mother on sheer talent (and help), but Delphi could admit she was impressed with any teenager who could do that. So she let the insufferable Ginger live. Delphi would never admit it, but before she knew who she was, and subsequently who _Ginny Potter _was, young Delphi treasured a Holyhead Harpies Ginny Potter action figure. It was the _one _toy she had, and she had to fucking steal it, because Euphemia fucking Rowle sure as shit didn't spend Rodolphus Lestrange's stipend on the little girl she was supposed to be raising. She couldn't wait until she got her hands on 'Uncle Rudy'. She'd fucking destroy him in this timeline as badly as the last one.

Delphi's respect and previous admiration for Ginny Potter didn't stop her from absconding with the family Invisibility Cloak. She _waited _a whole _year _in Azkaban ensure his children would be home for the summer so that she could steal that fucking life-hack. Disillusionment was fine and dandy, but having the sexiest of the Deathly Hallows with her back in time was something that was too hard to resist.

She also obliterated the second time-turner after she jumped timelines so they couldn't follow her _again_. And she destroyed the one that brought her here to ensure a one-way trip.

As soon as she arrived on this alternate timeline, she sought out the knowledge that would allow her to triumph over her parents and Dumbledore if she ever had to fight them alone. Her studies in her native timeline were vast, but ultimately failed her. Granted, she was stronger than her mother, and probably her father, and possibly Dumbledore.

She knew that Lovegood, Granger and Ginny had stalemated her mother when they were teenagers. She was able to fight _Minister_ Granger, Ginny, _Head Auror _Potter, Draco, _Retired Auror _Ron, and two pretty competent teenagers besides for nearly ten minutes until they got the better of her. Delphi was pretty sure she was strong enough to fight her father on level terms.

But all the same, she lost that day when she needed to win. And she spent time in Azkaban because of it, until she decided to leave that fucking island. So this time, she'd prepare. And that meant taking a trip to Nurmengard Castle: Grindlewald's prison. She needed advice from a master, and Gellert Grindlewald was eager to teach an apprentice. She arrived in this timeline just after Sirius Black escaped Azkaban. She'd worked her way onto the Nurmengard prison staff, and for a little over a year had near constant access to Grindlewald. And after a quick and brutal demonstration of her power, he saw her potential; a level of raw power he never had, but distastefully unrefined. '_So_ _sloppy'_, he told her. So naturally, he taught her everything he knew, provided she take an oath. What he asked for was very surprising to Delphi, but she eagerly agreed, and the pact was made… für das größere Wohl.

So now Delphi was faced with several angry men, and one other woman, (Alecto Carrow, if Delphi was remembering names right. She also died in the final battle). Unfortunately for the Death Eaters, she was educated at the Grindlewald School of fighting multiple opponents like a badass and making it look like nothing, circa 1926, New York City.

**_Interlude over: Back to the Violence!_**

Delphi just laughed Bellatrix's laugh as she had tore two massive sections of the ground from their places and levitated them around her and the kids like moons around a planet to divert any Killing Curses. Everything else was stopped or turned back by Grindlewald's _Medusa_ shield specifically designed to deal with men without scruples like these. It was Dark magic, and no Auror that she knew of would be permitted to use it. And she imagined very few if _any _Death Eater were powerful enough to use it.

One of the Death Eaters met quite a spectacular end as she reflected his relatively harmless _Petrificus Totalus_ back at him, and followed it by sending Lucius' dark fire spell at the poor man too. It wasn't anything like _Fiendfyre_, but it was the combat variant of _Incendio_, so that poor immobilized Death Eater died screaming. Delphi made sure to keep the others sufficiently occupied as to not have time to both negate the fire curse on their comrade _and _protect themselves. Delphi let out another laugh that seemed to reverberate around the huge room, chilling her foes to the bone. Potter's reductor curses were turning the wall behind the Death Eaters into a shambles. His aim wasn't the best. But he was no slouch in the power department; though nowhere near where Delphi's level was at his age.

That was when Mad-Eye Moody, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Nymphadora Tonks blasted through the door leading back to the main Ministry building. "About time you dawdlers showed up. Protect the students!" Delphi yelled at them with a grin. She turned back to the Death Eaters and fired a particularly nasty cutting hex that pierced one of their shields and cut through one of them to the spine. His intestines lurched out of his abdominal cavity and he fell, toppling down the massive steps to land in a gory heap at the foot of the Veil.

The Order Members decided to work for a living and joined in, sending a barrage of stunners while Lupin and Sirius rushed to the wounded children. "What happened?" Lupin asked as he hunched over, weaving healing spells to seal the wound on Luna while Sirius made sure Hermione was still breathing. There would be scars, and a lengthy stay at St. Mungo's, but the kids would make it. "Where's Ron?" Lupin asked.

Ginny just shook her head violently as tears ran down her face. Neville gasped, and Sirius swore. Lupin's jaw twitched. "I'm so sorry, Ginny." Lupin fixed Neville's nose while he was distracted with a quick _Episkey_. A Killing Curse slipped past the fight happening on the other end of the Veil, but Delphi's boulder intercepted it, shattering. But the kids were fine, and so were Lupin and Sirius.

A few minutes later, Dumbledore showed up. The day was basically won. The last few Death Eaters were being cornered by a stream of curses and charms by Mad-Eye, Tonks, Kingsley, and a woman he'd never seen before. Delphi would've finished them sooner, but didn't think tossing around Killing Curses like candy would endear herself to the Order.

Dumbledore looked over to where the children were. His heart clenched as his eyes found Hermione and Luna, both grievously injured. Harry was thankfully unhurt; he was just catching his breath. The boy was at Hermione's side. Neville went over to where Pansy and Luna were.

Then everything changed when two things happened at once: Voldemort appeared. And Harry learned from one of his friends that his dear Ronald was dead.

Potter let out a guteral scream while Voldemort apparated right between the groups of people, having a direct line of sight towards Harry. He considered for a second, Black and Lupin were right next to Harry, surely one would take the hit for the boy. He wouldn't be making that mistake again. Hell no.

_But the Mudblood, she's still breathing…_Voldemort made his presence known in the most dramatic way possible. He aimed a killing curse at the fallen Hermione…because he was an arse like that. From there, things happened predictably, Harry dove in front of Hermione, and took the curse straight to the spine. Since his head was face down, almost nobody saw the black smoke ooze from his scar and dissipate harmlessly. Ginny saw. And if she wasn't shell-shocked, she'd have some serious questions to ask.

"HARRY!"

Delphi turned around to see Lupin, Sirius and _Dumbledore_ fighting…her dad. Dad was here. _Oh my stars. Oh my stars. Oh my stars_. _Oh my stars_. _Get it TOGETHER Delphi!_ She turned her attention back to the current fight. _It's time to stop fucking about_. _Ugh, I suppose it's time to be a bloody hero._ Coalescing a ball of sheer kinetic power in front of her for about three seconds while her shield repelled the cutting curses sent her way, she released it, dropping her Grindlewald-taught shield at the same time, the remaining Death Eaters were blasted into the wall behind them as easily as chess pieces swept from a board by a sore looser. Malfoy only survived because there happened to be another man behind him who took the brunt of the blunt trauma. But he wouldn't be getting up soon either.

The three men were good, but Voldemort had power they simply didn't; and Dumbledore could only protect them so much. "Holy fuck," Tonks breathed as she saw the devastation from Delphi's finisher.

Delphi paid the Aurors no mind as she turned to face her father. Sirius had fallen. Not fatally, but he was groaning on the ground while smoke curled off of he shoulder. Dumbledore's expression was grim. The old man got a shot in, Voldemort hissed as his right hand began to bleed from the cutter that glanced it. "Is that all you've got? This is for the Potters! _AVADA–,_" Sirius was blasted back hard, in the middle of a killing blow on the Dark Lord. He crashed down the stairs before righting himself. But then he tripped backwards over the Death Eater corpse splayed out at the foot of the Veil. And with a frightened whimper, Sirius Black fell right through the Veil of Death.

Lupin roared in despair, showing off his werewolf side a little bit, and right before a Killing Curse struck him down, he was blasted out of its path by a nearly feather-soft kinetic spell.

"Not today, Satan," Delphi muttered as she walked toward where she blasted Lupin away from her father. She pointed her wand at her father, getting his attention, and said, "Tom Riddle III! I always wish I could've met Merope." The simple sentence temporarily shocked the Dark Lord, who was _not _prepared to hear his mother's name in anything resembling a situation like this. Especially not from a _child! _Delphi took her chance where she saw it, "LEGILLIMENCE!" The spell connected, and she plunged into Voldemort's mind.


	6. I Am the One

CHAPTER 5: I Am the One

_"Not today, Satan," Delphi muttered as she walked toward where she blasted Lupin away from her father. She pointed her wand at her father, getting his attention, and said, "Tom Riddle III! I always wish I could've met Merope." The simple sentence temporarily shocked the Dark Lord, who was not prepared to hear his mother's name in anything resembling a situation like this. Especially not from a child! Delphi took her chance where she saw it, "LEGILLIMENCE!" The spell connected, and she plunged into Voldemort's mind._

**_Inside Voldemort's Mind_**

"Who are you, child?" A tall and slim middle-aged man with perfect hair and regal features asked as he circled the slightly shorter woman. "And _how _is it you overcame my Occlumency barriers?"

"I'm your daughter, to both questions." Delphi said with something approaching reverence.

"Impossible. The only woman I've had relations with was Bellatrix. I would have remembered her pregnancy." Delphi still had her mask on, even now, on this plane. Luckily, talent in the mind-arts was something she very much inherited from her father, and not a small bit from her mother either. To survive over a decade in Azkaban, insane or no, required _some _level of Occlumency. Grindlewald's brutal training helped too. Her father was obviously projecting the appearance of the man he would have looked like had he not been destroyed and remade in a homunculus body.

"I was born in Azkaban." Delphi removed her mask. Time to lie. And time to like _big. _Delphi had confidence that when she scraped every memory from Rodolphus (of her timeline), ripping his mind apart she gleaned the information needed to lie convincingly in this timeline. Most importantly, how to explain her existence without mentioning time travel; she couldn't risk anybody knowing, especially her father…unless she made them take an Unbreakable Vow or put a Fidelus on the secret.

Thankfully for the integrity of the story she was spinning, her parents were fucking well before her father's first fall, and right up to a week before it. The thought made her queasy, but it did wonders for her cover story. Rodolphus remembered every time his 'wife' would come back from Riddle Manor with that sated grin of hers and smelling of sex. Voldemort even made him watch a couple times, punishment for failed mission on Rodolphus' part, or reward for Bellatrix's victories. But Rodolphus Lestrange knew that to deny the Dark Lord his _concubine _in any manner would guarantee a horrific death, and Rodolphus was no fool. The Dark Lord even went so far to bar him from touching the woman.

And so the face of Delphi that Voldemort saw was an altered one. Granted, it wasn't much altered, just subtle touches. The trick here was that nobody knew she was a metamorphagus. Before having removed her mask, she had turned her hair a wavy black, and tied into a smart ponytail. Her eyes were _his _eyes, so was her nose. She definitely inherited the Riddle looks, or at least, it was easy to make him believe so. Her height helped sell her story as well; not quite as tall as Voldemort, but nearly a foot taller than the female average. But her high cheekbones and grin were undoubtedly that of Bellatrix.

However, the most defining feature was that she was young, easily young enough to pass as a fourteen-year old. After all, if Bellatrix was 'pregnant' when she entered Azkaban, Delphi could be no older than fifteen. Granted, the things Tom Riddle was capable of at fifteen allowed him to believe that his daughter born of himself and Bellatrix of the Black family would absolutely be able to dance toe to toe with his Death Eaters. "One of the female guards took pity on me and spirited me away. She didn't want to see a baby lose her soul you see. If she notified the other Aurors, they'd have fed me to the Dementors or thrown me into the North Sea. She dumped me in an orphanage in the muggle world that day, and obliviated mum. Because I was born in an unplottable location, I wasn't on the Hogwarts Rolls, nor the Ministry Record of Magical Births so I slipped through the cracks. I was powerful as a child, and eventually discovered _our _world. Who knew that basically living in King's Cross Station would've led to a whole new world? I learned everything I could. I worked wonders with the Imperius curse, access almost any library."

Voldemort regarded his 'daughter' with silence for a long moment before asking, "How do you know my mother's name?" Voldemort asked.

"Once I found out that I belonged to the family Black through a blood test at one of Gringott's branch offices, I sought out my family. By then I learned how to cover my tracks, so I dosed each member I interrogated with enough alcohol and a few other certain potions to muddle their experience of me as simply an interesting night out at the pub. Narcissa was difficult; she barely leaves the Manor." Delphi chuckled. Sometimes the truth out of context was the best lie. In her original timeline, this is exactly what she did. "Her memories included knowledge that her elder sister Bellatrix had been involved with you. It was known among your followers you were Salazar's heir, so tracing the family line through the centuries down to Marvolo, Morphin, and Merope Gaunt was child's play. Well, literally actually. But After that, it was simple to find the story of the Riddles' demise and read between the lines, especially when there was such a famous Riddle that was at Hogwarts. Though I admit the ability to talk with snakes really helped point me in the right direction. So long as you feed them, they tell quite the tales. I've spent my whole life waiting to meet you." Delphi was breathing heavily after speaking in a rush.

"And yet you slaughter my followers," Voldemort pointed out with a growl.

"I'm fourteen. If _I _can defeat them, how useful to you are they?" Delphi pointed out with a petulant pout.

"That's not an answer." her Father replied with distaste.

"To prove myself to you. That I am worthy of your legacy." Delphi responded a little more quietly.

"Where is your mother?" Voldemort asked, with real venom in his voice.

At this, Delphi looked down and allowed her real rage to disguise her lies, "She's dead. In the hall of prophecy, the children destroyed the shelves and one of them crushed her after Ronald Weasley's reductor curse spun her into its path." Delphi didn't have to fake the hatred she felt for Ron Weasley. The real challenge was pretending she _did _care around the kids. Frankly, she could understand Ginny, Draco, and Harry jumping back into time to stop her. Minister Granger too. _Ronald Weasley was probably just in it for the glory. He ran a fucking joke shop of all things because he couldn't hack it as an Auror_. Delphi reigned in her visible vitriol that she knew her father would _feel_. Which was why blending the truth without proper context was the best way to lie. "But _Malfoy _had the opportunity to save her, and he let it slip through his fingers."

Voldemort grimaced, and then nodded, "I see. Unexpected, but no great loss. I fear that Bella had lost much of her utility after her incarceration. And her appeal." _What. _Delphi was jarred by his callousness towards his lover.

"What? That's it?" Delphi's easily lit temper now turned upon her father. _Was mother really _nothing _to him? Was she just a broodmare to cement his _legacy_? What does that make me? _"She loved you. She could have loved me!" Delphi shouted at him. The daughter didn't _actually _kill her mother, but she was _really _getting to know her father by maintaining the lie.

Despite her _real _age being into her mid-twenties, Delphi being confronted with both her deeply flawed parents in the midst of a battle was playing havoc with her emotions. She was powerful, but that didn't mean she was strong in every aspect.

"I doubt that _girl_. She was a blade, one wielded with precision to devastating effect. She was certainly not prone to _sentiment._ And then her capture and incarceration were…foolish. Easily avoided. She was a broken woman _before_, but after Azkaban, these last few months, even her body became hideous to me," he said without a care. "Since we've been speaking Parseltongue thus far, I suppose I _have _to accept the likelihood of you being my spawn. You will bow to me, and take my _mark. _And then we will kill these swine." His aristocratic features were marred his snarl of greed. Delphi realised she was _nothing _to him. Just a blade, same as her mother. _Perhaps it was naïve to hope for anything else_, she thought to herself with crushing disappointment.

Delphi never felt so validated in her life. But her insane plan to save her mother from this broken shell of the man her father once was had been the right thing to do. She wasn't sure until this moment. But now she didn't have to hold back. "How can you say that! I waited my whole life to see her, and now she's GONE. And you don't even care!" Delphi screamed at him. Her younger face really sold her expression of childish angst.

"Silence girl. We are wasting time speaking of that woman, especially now I have you. You will control yourself. You know that Dumbledore and the Ministry will destroy you if they discover our connection. Your only path forward is with me. And with your temper? You'll only be safe under my control. Take my Mark, and rule at my side, daughter; I will not offer it a third time."

"I've waited my entire life for this moment, Dad." Delphi nearly whispered the term of endearment to herself. She knew it was the last time she'd say it to him. Even in their shared mindscape, her fury forced her eyes to flare red as she looked up at her father, "I killed your men to prove myself to you; to show you that they are nothing but shoddily made marionettes on severed strings, while _I _was something more. Somebody powerful. I wanted to rule at your side. But I'm no one's slave," Delphi spat as she ripped herself from his mind.

She had given him a test, and he failed spectacularly. Despite her confidence in her course, she couldn't help but mourn the fact that she had also failed _his _test; even if in passing she'd have lost herself to Voldemort.

**_Back in the room with the Veil of Death_**

She was…_disappointed. _No, she was crushed. Tears streamed from her eyes as she mentally prepared her contingency. Rather, she had already executed the vast majority contingency plan to this encounter. Delphi was not a fool. From the memories of _several _of people, she knew what her father was; and the real possibility of him rejecting her.

She also raided Potter's memories as he slept that night she _removed _against his will the Deathly Hallows from his possession for good, and became the Master of Death.

Upon arriving, Delphi was very ready to walk out of the ministry with both her parents, but Father…he wasn't Tom Riddle anymore. He was barely even Voldemort. He was just a broken doll, masquerading as a man. And her father knowing that _she_ was out there, he'd see her as a rival. He would stop at nothing to kill her. And so she reached into her pockets, and prepared to fulfil the prophecy. She had done her research, and it was time to win.

"Daughter! You will obey only me," Voldemort spat as he shook his head, settling his mind from their conversation in his head. In reality, only a second or so passed. Nobody was any the wiser that they had a full and revealing conversation. There were some gasps as he spoke of their connection for everyone to hear.

Delphi closed her eyes, tears streaking down her pale cheeks for a moment before smothering the sorrow building up in her chest; she'd deal with it later. Now, it was time to put on a goddamn show. "Mum's dead and you don't even care!" Delphi screamed back at him, making everyone buy into her 'performance'. It helped her rage for him was real. Her resentment of him was real. But so too was her love; which was why her voice was broken as she shouted at the man she'd idolized her whole life.

Even Dumbledore stopped for a moment at this exchange. "What is she doing?" the headmaster muttered to himself. He had seen her deal with the remaining Death Eaters; she was no slouch. So he gave her the benefit of the doubt in taking on his least-favourite student.

Nobody realised Harry started breathing again, horcrux taking the hit. He was still unconscious though.

Delphi decided to end this. She'd speak to Dumbledore about it afterwards, about Harry, about her own future, and about Grindlewald; she had an oath to complete after all. But she had to _push _herself through these next crucial moments without wavering. Hidden in her hood and behind her mask, her features began to morph to reflect the ravenette teenage girl she had shown her father in their mindscape.

Delphi drew from her pockets and adorned herself with Slytherin's locket. She cancelled the disillusionment charm on the Gaunt Family ring. She put on Ravenclaw's diadem, (Delphi preferred _crown_), and tossed the cup of Hufflepuff at her feet. She then dug out a fucked up diary, hole right through the middle of it and tossed that in the cup, which tilted over with a pathetic _clanging _sound. "You're mortal, you piece of shit! You ruined my life! My mother's life! You ruined _EVERYTHING!_" Delphi screamed at him as she ripped her mask off and tossed that aside too.

Her messy bun came undone, her hair spooling about her shoulders, it was so dark it was almost blue. She subtly grew in height a couple inches to match her father, completing the transformation. She was every inch her parents' daughter: a beautiful if haughty young woman with a hell of a lot of rage. The adults were baffled, and the children (who were awake and aware) were confused, but they stayed silent.

"What is this?" Voldemort gasped as he beheld his horcruxes before him. But before he went into a full-blown panic, he remembered Nagini. His traitorous daughter sought to usurp him? _She'll die like the rest. I can make another child, and this time, they'll be LOYAL TO ME._

"I found out your secret, _Father_. The founders' items and your schoolboy diary. You're done for. Surrender, now." Delphi grit her teeth. She saw the Auror's itching to get in on the action. "DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE FIRE FIRST," she roared at Mad-Eye, who backed down at a swift look from Dumbledore.

The headmaster was nearly trembling in anticipation, the _girl knew about the horcruxes! And she's beaten him! _Delphi shoved the wand in her left hand back into her pocket. She wouldn't need it for what was about to happen.

"Last chance, my darling daughter. Serve me or join your whore mother in death." Voldemort spat. At that moment, the rest of the Auror's arrived, including Amelia Bones and Rufus Scrimgeour. Delphi and Voldemort both noticed the new entrants and realised things had to end, now. Delphi shook her head violently in response to his demand.

Delphi yelled, preparing herself for what was about to happen. "STUPEFY!" A_ massive _crimson jet fired from Delphi's right handed wand.

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!" _Voldemort screamed back. Green and Crimson jets of light whistled right by each other heading for their intended targets. "_Avada Kedavra_," Voldemort whispered, sending a second curse as Delphi went to dodge the first one. Voldemort casually shrugged out of the way of Delphi's stunner.

Delphi _did _dodge the first Killing Curse to close the distance. And then her father fired his second killing curse at her. Her left arm was outstretched to her side. Voldemort grinned at his daughter. But then he realised something was _very _wrong. She was grinning right back, and her eyes flashed crimson as she hissed in Parseltongue, '_Nagini_,' she winked. _She knew about the final horcrux! _Voldemort panicked as his daughter's grin registered. A body, Dolohov, was summoned between them as Voldemort's _Avada Kedavra_ was about to strike Delphi.

Voldemort's second Killing Curse slammed into the now corpse of Dolohov. Delphi darted underneath it and lunged at her father, her BC-41 trench knife gleamed in her hand. Her left arm grabbed his wand and turned it way from her body, avoiding the wordless shriek of her father. A third killing curse flew out of his intercepted wand and struck the ground beside them harmlessly.

Delphi had closed the distance between them completely. With Voldemort's wand now rendered useless, he looked into his daughter's eyes. The same BC-41 trench knife she used to end Umbridge was in her hand, and with one cry, she plunged it right through his sternum into his heart. The way they ended up standing against each other seemed like a cruel parody of a hug with Voldemort's arm around Delphi's shoulder, trying to gain an advantage. Delphi knew this was exactly as close to a hug from her dad as she'd ever get, and she couldn't help but let out a sob.

Horror was his final expression as he was enveloped in the comforting arms of Death. Unseen to all but Delphi, The tall hooded woman with the red cloak and hair as black as ink, wielding an elegant two metre scythe calmly removed the Soul from Tom Riddle's body.

Death stopped and laid a hand the knife in Delphi's hand, still embedded in her father's chest. Death sent a strange tingle of magic through the relic of a weapon from WWII to Delphi herself. Death winked at Delphi, whose face was streaked with her father's lifeblood. Death put a soft hand to Delphi's forehead in some sort of gesture the girl didn't understand before walking straight through the Veil holding the last remnant of Voldemort's soul.

There was silence as Delphi stood there victorious. Voldemort's body was still propped up as it leaned against Delphi. Delphi withdrew the 1940's era muggle weapon she used to end the most powerful Dark Lord of the century. The sound as it scraped against his chest-plate and splattered more blood onto her would haunt her forever. She dropped the BC-41 knife and before it clattered to the ground, it faded from existence. But Delphi didn't notice. She didn't notice the shouts of jubilation as the Aurors, the Students, and the Order celebrated Lord Voldemort's death.

Delphi was too busy to notice the ecstatic relief and joy around her because she was hugging her father's corpse as she openly sobbed.


	7. Zelda

CHAPTER 6: Zelda

Delphi walked over to Luna and Pansy before left the Veil room amidtst the celebrations. She put a hand on Luna's head for a moment, muttered an incantation and then straightened up. and addressed Pansy, "I'm sorry. I'll make sure her new arm is the best it can be." With that, Dumbledore followed. "Ms. Riddle, a moment if you would."

Delphi didn't break pace as she made her way back to the Hall of Prophecy. "You have one. Walk with me if you want to talk, Chief Warlock." Despite her brusque words, her tone was not an unkind one. She spared Dumbledore a small smile, "I'm sure you have _many _questions. You'll get your answers, but I need to do something in this department before the unspeakables and aurors swamp the place. I'm not going to be hurting anybody, but I recommend not trying to stop me. You might as well ask your questions." Her threat was clear, but it was also obvious that she _really _didn't want to fight Dumbledore.

"How did you kill him? The prophecy was quite clear on several points that indicated Harry Potter," Dumbledore didn't hesitate to take the opening she gave him.

"He's alive by the way. Potter. He was breathing when I walked by him a minute ago. Somebody's got to tell him Sirius Black died though when he wakes up," Delphi said.

"How did he survive?" Dumbledore asked. He had an inkling, but the girl probably had the answers too, and he was _quite _curious how she'd respond.

"Horcrux took the hit, I'd imagine. Nobody knows exactly how that curse works, so it's guesswork. But I think it severs souls from the body. It sought the weakest link imbedded in the boy's face I suppose," Delphi ventured. She'd never admit it, but she was glad for this conversation. For one, it was calming. For seconders, it distracted her from the mountain of emotions she would have to process once she was alone again.

"Would you mind first walking me through how you fullfill the prophecy?" Dumbledore asked.

"I'd rather answer those questions with at least Potter and Longbottom present. Probably the rest of the kids and your militia soldiers who arrived with the cavalry. They're a part of this divination clusterfuck now two. The prophecy destroyed some of their lives. They deserve to be in the room for that conversation, it's the decent thing to do," Delphi headed off Dumbledore's potential retort after a moment. "This isn't a refusal. We can have that talk tonight even, but it doesn't just concern me, do you understand?"

"Yes. That's actually quite wise of you. Very well," Dumbledore began, but Delphi cut him off.

"Also, discussion of my parentage fits into the same conversation of the prophecy. Annoying, I know, but I think a great weight rested on _my _interperatation of the bloody riddle. So I'll have my big confession then too. I'm sorry I didn't protect all the students," Delphi finished with a bit of genuine remorse.

"Yes. Why didn't you stop them?" Dumbledore went out and asked.

"Why didn't Snape?" Delphi shot back. "Personal reasons. Also, I would've had to fight them at once. While I only would have used stunners, Potter, Granger, and the Weasley boy would've fought to wound. Sirius' life was on the line from their perspective. It could've been messy, and I'm no healer. Is that a passable reason for you?"

"Passable," Dumbledore repeated with a bit of annoyance. "But not the truth."

"No. But it is _a _truth," Delphi said as they entered the Hall of Prophecy. "I lied, by the way, back in the Veil room or whatever. Mum's alive," Delphi said as she stepped over the corpse of the Death Eaters who _had _died in the children's bombardment of _Reducto _curses.

"That seems pretty dead to me," Dumbledore looked at Pettigrew, polyjuiced as Bellatrix, very dead on the floor.

Delphi waved her wand to reveal an immobilized Draco and a one-armed, chained up, still unconcious Bellatrix. "Ta-da," Delphi drawled as Draco paled.

"Hello there, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore greeted his student with a genuine smile.

Delphi hit Bellatrix with another stunner before heaving her onto her shoulder and walking back the way they came. "Are you coming or not?"

Draco was freed from Delphi's immobilization spell. "What are you going to do to her?" Dumbledore asked, mildly curious. "You declared her dead to the world. Aurors will surely confirm that with the little scene you clearly set up there. Who was that, by the way?"

"Pettigrew," Draco answered.

"Well, that's a shame?" Dumbledore said.

"Not really. Sirius would've been cleared with a pensieve memory viewing and a veritaserum session. Pettigrew wasn't needed to clear him. Now that's a moot point I suppose. The man dies a murderer in the eyes of the public," Delphi said with distaste.

"You know of his innocence?" Dumbledore asked again.

"You think I didn't go through Pettigrew's mind?" Delphi scoffed.

"You could have removed the memories and stored them to exonerate Sirius at a later date," Dumbledore pointed out.

"When I can help it, I don't tamper with people's memories. _If _I don't get caught around muggles, and with magicals, well…there are almost always other options. It's why most Aurors repulse me. They don't think twice about violating people's lives like that." Delphi said with no little amount of vitriol. "It's one of the things I've gone to great lengths to have contingency plans for if somebody gets the drop on me and tries to rewrite who I am. Oh, we're here," they had arrived in the time room. Neither Draco nor Dumbledore knew quite what to say about Delphi's outburst just then. So they left it alone.

"And what is it exactly you hope to do here? No time travel I hope?" Dumbledore asked seriously.

"Of fucking course not!" Delphi responded immediately. "Well, not _travel _per-say. But I need to discuss it with my mother first. So I'd like some privacy for this part." Delphi wasn't really asking. And Dumbledore seemed on the fence, so Delphi added, "I'm the girl who just killed her father to save our country. I deserve the benefit of the doubt."

The truth was that Dumbledore was _curious _about a great many things that had happened tonight, and Delphi had _not _been exactly forthcoming. "Very well, how long do you need?" Dumbledore asked.

"Thank you," Delphi breathed out in relief as she set Bellatrix down gently. "Not too long. Let's say five minutes. Then I'll join _you _elsewhere. Possibly your school?"

Draco had been looking between the three adults, confused at why his _cousin _seemed younger than she had when she left them. "That works. I will gather the others after I clear some things up with the Aurors and Minister."

"Do the country a favour and call for a vote of no confidence," Delphi said. "Your position in the ministry would allow you to do that right? Elect Bones. She'd be a phenomenal leader for this country."

"You've a savy political mind, Delphi. Are you quite sure _you _don't want to run for election? Granted, you're a bit young, but that didn't stop them from deifying Harry when he was a baby. And like then, by this time tomorrow, the world will know that _you _ended Voldemort," Dumbledore pointed out with a wry smile.

"I'd probably enjoy it for a while, true. But then I'd probably start becoming violent with traditionalist officials who put forth legislation to hurt people, or some other of the thousand different ways to piss me off enough to draw on them. It just wouldn't work. Besides, my parents are _fantastic _examples of extremely powerful and intelligent people who seek out even more power. And then they become destroyed by it." Delphi paused for a moment as she considered her own history. She'd done _exactly _that and now had a second chance at life. At freedom.

"I'm not ignorant of my heritage, Dumbledore. But I have no intention of treading down my father's path. I killed every Death Eater I crossed tonight."

Draco gasped, "My father?"

"Lucius yet lives, young Malfoy," Dumbledore reassured the boy. "Though he will likely spend the rest of his life in Azkaban once he is released from St. Mungo's."

"Is he?" Delphi looked surprised. Draco looked livid. "Well, he has a harder head than I thought. Good on him," Delphi was genuine in her praise, mostly. It didn't stop her from chuckling a little at her little cousin's expense. "Anyway, I'd like an unbreakable vow," she was just so casual about it she could've been discussing the ice cream flavour she got at the shop.

"Excuse me?" Dumbledore asked.

"What?" Draco breathed.

"Nothing too crazy. Just that you won't divulge that Bellatrix is alive. I plan on telling her sisters and Nymphadora, extracting similar vows from them. So _you _won't need to hide this from auntie Narcissa. I plan on making Pansy take the vow as well as soon as I get another moment with her," Delphi said to Draco. "And I don't want any reprisals from _your_ people, the ministry, or basically anybody who has a reason or not to attack me because of my _heritage,_" Delphi finished with a keen clarity in her eyes, which had since the duel with her father turned to a deep brown.

"And if we refuse?" Dumbledore asked. Delphi could tell she had already won this argument, and that he was just humouring her.

"I'd rather not say. You'd think less of me I think." Delphi said.

"I'm alright with that," Draco spoke up quickly before Dumbledore could reply. The old man just chuckled.

The casting of the unbreakable vow was rather anticlimactic, and once that was done, Draco and Dumbledore went back to deal with the others. "Thought they'd never leave," Delphi muttered to herself as she began warding the room to stop any intruders or interference.

She turned to her mother. Unlike her father, Delphi had a plan that didn't necessarily rely on her mother's compliance. "Wake up," Delphi muttered, neutralizing the stunning spell. She kept the chains on though.

Bellatrix woke up with a scream as she immediately realised she was being restrained. "What the fuck happened!" she asked.

Delphi took a moment to look at her mother and replied, "Other than Malfoy, the rest of the Death Eaters that came here are dead by my hand."

Bellatrix peered into her daughter's eyes while she considered the woman in front of her. "You _are _my daughter? I don't remember being pregnant, so that means I was raped and obliviated. Who's the father?" Bellatrix's tone was as emotionless as she could make it, but Delphi could hear the disgust in her tone when she said the word 'father.'

Delphi smiled to herself. "You were not raped, nor obliviated." Delphi tilted her head and reconsidered that. "At least, my conception wasn't involuntary. Because you see, I'm a time traveller."

"Liar." Bellatrix scoffed reflexively. "You really expect me to believe that drivel?"

"I was born in 1997, September 30th just after lunch time on a pleasant day. I was born in Malfoy Manor, and after the war, I was raised by Euphemia Rowle, who neglected and abused me for my entire childhood until my stepfather Rodolphus arrived and revealed my parents' identities to me when I was eleven."

Whatever Bellatrix was expecting, it wasn't the serious and sombre tone Delphi spoke in. "Preposterous. That's…that's just not possible," Bellatrix said, though there was a nagging in her head that this girl was telling the truth. "What guarantee do you have that I'm telling the truth?"

"Here," Delphi said as she clasped hands with her mother and roughly and said the incantation for the Unbreakable Vow. "I, Delphini, daughter of Bellatrix Black Lestrange and Tom Marvolo Riddle do so swear that I have, and will continue to speak no lies as I know them to my mother." She tapped her wrist as the ethereal chains bound her to the oath.

"Ta-da," Delphi smirked at the legitimately shocked expression colouring her mother's face. "So, mum. I'm going to continue if that's alright with you, mum." Delphi's smirk lessened a little before Bellatrix nodded wordlessly. "After Rodolphus told me who I was, I got my hands on the Black Library and the Lestrange vaults. So my education in dark and more arcane magic was quite well-rounded. I never attended Hogwarts, or any other magic school abroad. When I was thirteen, my stepfather tried to rape me. I think Rodolphus was working out some sort of misplaced rage for you. Or maybe he assumed that if he made me his slave, he could control Britain after I paved the way for him. I had suspected he might try something for a while before that, but I was younger, and overconfident. Even still, he didn't get much farther than throwing me to the ground and ripping my blouse open." Bellatrix hissed in rage and almost unconsciously tried to reach out and comfort her daughter. 

_"_He's dead I hope?" Bellatrix managed to breath out.

"On my native timeline, yes. I knocked him back with a wandless blast of kinetic force, disarmed him, and then _plumbed _his mind for all the memories he had of you and father; and some other things. Once I was done with that, I _Crucioed _him past the splintering of his pathetic mind. He screamed until his nervous system was flayed, his throat was bloody, and his heart gave out. In an odd way," Delphi said with a shy smile, "Destroying your husband, my attacker the _way _I did…it made me feel a little closer to you."

Bellatrix looked up at her daughter and felt _many _conflicting emotions. "And he _didn't…_" Bellatrix suddenly needed to hear her daughter say it.

"He didn't rape me. I stopped him before it got that far. But he did scare me, and I still have nightmares about it. Even though I'm _so _much stronger now. My nightmares keep me humble, at least in _that _regard." Delphi admitted quietly. "When I pillaged his mind, I saw the memories of him raping other girls though. _During _the time he was teaching me the dark arts. They were muggle girls that looked like me." Delphi stopped and tried to reign in her emotions.

"I'm proud of you, _Delphini_," Bellatrix said.

Delphi looked up with genuine surprise and something like love in her eyes at her mother's honest praise. "That means _everything _to me," Delphi said. "Thank you."

"Why did you destroy my arm?" Bellatrix asked with a resentful glance at the stump protruding from her shoulder socket.

Delphi wondered how best to phrase the next bit. "Because I needed to sever you from my father's control. The Dark Mark is a hideous piece of magic, it's a slave brand. And I couldn't stand the sight of it on you, of all people. You deserved better."

Bellatrix looked upon her daughter, and with the death of the Mark, she felt her mind slowly clearing, which allowed some clarity to bleed through, "You're not telling me lies. But there is something or some things you're _not _telling me. So let's have it!" Bellatrix shouted. Delphi flinched. _Ah, there's the Bellatrix everyone knows and hates. I wish I had the training to diagnose her,_ the daughter thought as the thoughtful woman before her nearly lost her composure with rage once she detected deceit.

"You're right," Delphi admitted. "I destroyed my father. I fulfilled the prophecy, and ended his life, after a lengthy conversation in which I made him believe you were dead. He didn't care. At all, or so it seemed. And I'm _good _at reading people, I was in his head when I told him, and would've detected any _trace _of remorse or sorrow for your death. Do you know what I found instead?" Delphi asked with a bit of bite to her tone.

"He's dead?" Bellatrix asked, stunned.

"He felt relief. He was happy you had died," Delphi visibly had to reel in her own rage, for a moment cursing her family's propensity for short tempers. "I was ready to walk out of this fucking place with you both at my side. We would have ruled Britain together. But when he bought my lie about your current status, he failed me. He failed _you_. Then he wanted to fucking brand me. ME! So he had to die. I couldn't let him live, because if I had spared him, he would have come after me. So I had to. For myself. And for you too."

"How?" Bellatrix asked.

"I'm stronger than both of you put together," Delphi replied with a melancholy smile. "What's the point of having children if the next generation doesn't surpass the previous one, right?"

Delphi did _not _look happy about her victory. Bellatrix could see that, but it didn't quell her rage at her lover's death, "And what makes you think I won't kill you myself for slaying my Lord?" Bellatrix asked venomously.

"Because you're not going to remember this conversation." Delphi confessed with a frown on her face.

"What? If you _Obliviate_ me, I'll find out about it, and I'll return you to a mewling babe with how much I'll torture you," Bellatrix hissed in real fear, for the first time.

"I'm not going to take your memories away from you like that. I'm going to give you a second chance at life. When I saw all of Rodolphus' memories, I saw from his prospective, your Hogwarts years, and the arranged marriage that slowly broke you. I went through Narcissa's memories as well, but far more gently; she never knew I was there. Serving Father was the only escape you had from the Lestrange brothers. Serving father was the thing you _chose _to do, the one aspect of your life that you views as a freedom. And _he_ fucking branded you anyway. If I were in your position I _know _I would've made similar choices; but they were all horrific choices placed on an older sister who really shouldn't have had to sacrifice her future."

"That's a nice speech, _deary_, but you haven't explained why I won't remember this," Bellatrix wouldn't let Delphi slip free of that explanation. Her expression wasn't as hard as it had been moments ago, though. She could _see _that Delphi had suffered a personal sacrifice delving into her husband's mind. _Not least of which that he tried to fucking rape my daughter!_ Bellatrix seethed under the surface. _Not my daughter, you filthy parasite!_ Delphi could _feel _the waves of unadulterated hatred rising off of her mother, and she felt warmed by it.

"I'm going to turn you into a kid again. I don't intend to lie to you about who you _were_, and who _I _am to you. But you're going to be getting a second chance, and I quite expertly faked your death back there in the Hall of Prophecy, so that's a loose end cleared up. But the _you _that exists now will be gone. Destroyed," Delphi said slowly and quietly.

"And what makes you think I'll go along with this?" Bellatrix asked. "If you faked my death, then what's the point of _mutilating _me like that?" she asked with a voice that was half-way between fear and confusion.

"How long do you think it'll be before you get bored, commit some atrocity, and get yourself arrested and given the Dementor's Kiss if I let you run free? I'm not going to be your jailer. But I have other reasons too. One of those reasons is that I'm pretty sure you'll kill or maim me the moment I let down my guard around you. Tell me I'm wrong." Delphi's sad smile deepedned as she saw the truth of her words etched in Bellatrix's downright murderous expression.

"You're my daughter. I wouldn't kill you," Bellatrix ground out. Delphi rolled her eyes despite the severity of the situation.

Delphi shook her head at her mother's bald-faced lie, "I killed my father. He killed his father. You wouldn't have had a problem killing Andromeda if you ever found out where she ran off to with her 'mudblood' husband. Killing intent reserved for family seems like an inherited trait I've been saddled with, don't you think? I'd be a fool to think you loved me enough to spare me if I put you in a situation where I was your only obstacle to achieving freedom. Trust me, I _know _that clarity of purpose well. It allowed me to kill father, and in all likelihood I got it from you."

Delphi chuckled darkly as she rose to her feet and drew out the ebony time turner she had pilfered on her way in. She made a gesture with her other hand and both her wands flew out and began to carve a large rune in the floor that encircled them both. Seemingly on autopilot, the wands moved uninterrupted even as Delphi turned back to her incapacitated mother.

"But I did have something else in mind, and I'd _never _abandon you. I'm going to give you the childhood you should have had." _The one I should have had_, Delphi left unsaid.

"I won't be _me _anymore," Bellatrix insisted. She was getting frantic, but at the same time, the peril of her situation was beginning to drown her panic. Her daughter was going to functionally orphan herself tonight, and nothing Bellatrix could do would stop her. Delphi was simply the embodiment of the Dark Lord's old modus operandi 'Might makes right.' But that brought another thought to her head, "Neither can live while the other survives? Is that what this is?"

Delphi nodded. "I erased my future self from this timeline when I killed dad. Showing you mercy is just a bonus. Because I'm selfish, and I don't particularly care if you ever learn from your mistakes, feel remorse. The horrors you perpetrated over your years as Father's right hand are not mine to forgive. They're simply irrelevant to me," Delphi's casual reference to the torture of the Longbottom duo brought a slight grin to Bellatrix.

But then Delphi's voice changed and her eyes flared red, just like her father, and for the first time, Bellatrix really _believed _that this young woman was Lord Voldemort's heir. Delphini's power was almost bleeding out of her, and Bellatrix trembled in the presence of her daughter. Bellatrix then realised that Delphini wasn't boasting before; her presence eclipsed that of even Lord Voldemort.

"I will not stand by and let the world take more from me. I am bloody well owed something for my troubles, and as Fate would have it, _you _are my reward. For what it's worth, I'm going to preserve your memories, and one day, once you've grown up again, I'll revisit allowing you to see them. That sound fair?" Delphi asked with a raised eyebrow.

Bellatrix knew her time was over, and despite herself, felt tears form in her eyes. "And what will you call me? I'm assuming Bellatrix is off the table, and you're not a Lestrange."

Delphi seemed pleased, no; _relieved _that her mother had outwardly accepted her fate. "Do you have any suggestions, mum?"

"Zelda," Bellatrix replied.

"German? Not Latin or Greek?" Delphi asked.

Bellatrix took in a deep breath before saying, "There was a Zelda who transferred to Hogwarts in my first year. She was fifteen, made the Prefect based on her immaculate record from Durmstrang, and the epitome of what I considered a Slytherin should be. I'm not ashamed to admit I idolized her. Some upper year Gryffindors cornered me, yelling that my father had done some nefarious thing to theirs; I don't really remember. They drew wands on me. I sent two of them to the Hospital Wing, but one of them, a girl called Eva got the better of me and I lost my wand. But she didn't stop there, Eva spent two solid minutes hexing me. I was in that hospital bed for a month, and only barely avoided St. Mungo's spell damage ward. It turned out Eva just wasn't strong enough to utilize the spells' full power I was told. She hadn't intended for me to recover fully."

Delphi was nonplussed the direction this conversation had gone in. But she spared only a glance at her wands, which had completed the rune. The ritual was ready. "And Zelda saved you?"

"Some lunatic first year called Pandora saved me, brought me the nurse 'just in time' they said. No. Zelda found out about it, and she made it a point to escort me to my lessons for the remainder of the month. But when she stopped, Eva and her friends were back. I wasn't ready, and I lost my wand again. I was on the ground, but before they could really get started, Zelda was there. She brandished her left forearm at them and yelled something in German at Eva and proceeded to show the real power an education in the Dark Arts could feel like. She was stripped of her Prefect Badge, but she still smiled at me every day, and nobody bothered me until I was far too powerful to be pushed around. I heard she moved to America, and never returned to Britain," Bellatrix was lost in the story, and Delphi was engrossed as well.

"You said she brandished her left arm at them, what was that about? Did she have father's Mark?" Delphi asked with a raised eyebrow.

Bellatrix tilted her head and shrugged, "No. It was just a string of numbers tattooed on the inside of her forearm. No idea what that was about honestly."

But Delphi knew. She gasped. Zelda was a holocaust survivor, which meant she was almost certainly a Muggleborn, and her mother had no idea. Delphi broke out in a wide grin and said, "I think Zelda's a beautiful name, and you'll certainly do her justice. You'll have to have some variation of Delphini as your middle name, Pureblood traditions and all," Delphi shrugged, and Bellatrix just nodded.

"I haven't decided on a surname yet. I think I'll get to that later, after all, I have several to choose from now I'm the head of the Black family as well," Delphi smirked. "For what it's worth, mum, I'm gonna make sure you grow up to be fucking unstoppable."

Bellatrix regarded her far more powerful daughter with an uncertain look, but she settled on, "Thank you, Delphini."

"Right then, any last words or wishes?" Delphi said as she straightened up, levitating her mother to the middle of the ritual circle. Bellatrix seemed to be in a state, unresisting as Delphi's magic carried her like a sack of potatoes.

"Let Bellatrix Lestrange die with me," Bellatrix pleaded quietly. In her heart of hearts, she wanted _Zelda _to be free from the horrors she'd lived. She didn't feel guilty for what she'd _done_ exactly, but if becoming Bellatrix lead to her own daughter doing _this_? Then something drastic had to be done. She couldn't risk another end like this.

"I promise," Delphi said just as silently. She raised her wand to her mother's head and spoke a few words in Parseltongue and her wand and eyes glowed blue for a moment. Bellatrix felt her life flash before her eyes, literlaly, and realised her daughter had copied each and every memory she'd ever had."I love you mum, and I'll never forget this, not one word. I'll always remember when Zelda was you, even if you never will." Bellatrix nodded at Delphi's declaration. Delphi took two steps and pulled her mother into a loving hug.

Bellatrix wrapped her arms around her daughter and cried. After her tears had stopped, Delphi stepped back, out of the ritual circle and used her Elder Wand to tap the ebony time turner. "Επανάληψη."

The Time Turner shattered and the smoky ethereal matter inside it expanded to fill the room, but the runic circle lit up and confined the time turner's power to the circle, and Bellatrix alone. Delphi had sweat immediately running down her face as even _her _considerable magic was tested by this. Soon enough, the mist cleared, and in the middle of the circle next to the remnant of the broken time turner was a little girl with wild black curls who looked up at Delphi quizzically before exhaustion overtook her.

Delphi swept the girl that had been her mother up in her arms and allowed her head to rest in the crook between her shoulder and her neck. "Sweet dreams, Zelda," Delphi smiled at the sleeping girl before pointing her wand at the chain and muttering, _Portus_. She pointed her wand at Zelda and muttered a spell that would negate the negative affect that using a portkey would normally have. It would be a shame to disturb the sleeping child so soon. Without hesitating, Delphini grabbed the portkey, and the two vanished from the Department of Mysteries.


	8. Housekeeping

CHAPTER 6: Housekeeping

The air shimmered before the two figures appeared at Delphi's luxurious flat in London. She walked to the window and double-checked the secrecy charms had held their integrity, they did. Then again, she _did _have a fidelus covering the building so that helped with the whole secrecy thing. Truthfully, she could have taken the Underground to get off on Green Park and been at her flat in less than a half-hour, but portkeys were just so ever useful at cutting away inane time-wasting. Not that Delphi didn't like to take walks, but she was about to embark on a new journey that probably shouldn't start with Bella–**Zelda** waking up to the smell of piss and screeching that was the Tube.

Delphi's flat was behind the Ritz Carlton just down the street from Piccadilly Circus. She almost chose not to live in the city, but she figured it would be easier to do errands and such, and anonymity was far easier to achieve in a metropolis than a sleepy hamlet.

One of the more notable things about Delphi's flat, is that it was in Muggle London. She knew most of the Magical World, at least in Britain lived for the most part in a series of villages like Ottery St. Catchpole or Hogsmeade in Scotland if not in their private manors speckled around the island. She knew that Godric's Hollow was another popular location for witches and wizards to settle down. Delphi preferred living in the mundane world, that way her power always seemed like a gift rather than a terrible legacy.

As Delphi gently placed Zelda in bed, a thought came to her. Well, two thoughts: firstly, was that she should probably postpone her conversation with Dumbledore. She had a bigger priority now. Delphi gently stroked the hair of the sleeping child. There was a part of the time-traveler that just couldn't reconcile the gothic madness of Bellatrix with the peaceful face of Zelda. Delphi would be lying if she said the little toddler now in her care was filling up a place in her heart at a rate that was approaching exponential.

Delphi decided to write up a to-do list, in no particular order.

1\. Get Zelda's clothes. Pettigrew's suit needs to go A.S.A.P.

2\. Go to St. Mungo's to check on Granger and Lovegood.

3\. Reschedule meeting with Dumbledore.

4\. Did kids like toys and shit? Probably should get on that huh?

5\. Gringotts and the Black inheritance. Check other inheritances too, maybe Peverells Actually, that had to happen first thing in the morning.

6\. Make a better list, and maybe buy some stocks. This should probably be higher too.

7\. Deal with Dumbledore…

Delphi windlessly cast a silencing charm on the doorframe so that no sound would enter and wake Zelda. Though Delphi actually assumed that Zelda would probably sleep soundly through the night as the ritual would have taken a toll on her. She took a breath and then said, "Kreacher."

A soft pop revealed the presence of the Black Family House Elf. "Who are you? Not another filthy blood-traitor, I hope. Mistress Walpurga would be so disappointed in Kreacher."

"Jump three times in place then spin around and say 'I love muggle-borns more than purebloods." The elf's face filled with shock, confusion, and rapidly shifted to rage as he complied with Delphi's test order. But as the Black Family Magics bound him, he served.

Delphi quickly continued to speak, heading off any retort the spirited old elf would have. "The blood-traitor bit really depends on your definition, Kreacher. And as for how I have command over you, Sirius Black is dead. Bellatrix Black Lestrange is also gone, unfortunately," Delphi stopped to silence the house-elf just before he broke down in sobs. She let him have a minute to mourn his mistress. It was oddly cathartic to see somebody who so obviously loved Bellatrix react to her 'death'. Granted, the status of Bellatrix Lestrange really didn't matter to her being able to order the house-elf around, just Sirius'.

"However, as _her daughter_, I am laying my claim upon you. Kreacher, you belong to me now," Delphi said with a dramatic smirk.

"Her…Mistress Bella had a child?" Kreacher asked with awe.

"I swear it to you, I am the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange. And as such, I am also of House Black." Delphi confirmed. She tilted her head as Zelda murmured in her sleep. Delphi then did something that nearly stopped Kreacher's heart.

From her endless pocket she withdrew the locket of Slytherin along with the decoy Regulus and Kreacher placed in the cave. "I figured you'd like your locket back," Delphi said as she gently handed the trembling elf Regulus' decoy locket along with the message his deceased favourite master placed inside.

"Mistress? How?" Kreacher looked for all the world like a fish as he tried to form words.

"Before I tell you, I command that anything discussed by myself or others in my presence not be communicated whatsoever to parties not present for said conversation unless I specifically give you permission. Am I clear?"

"Perfectly, Mistress. Kreacher will keep your secrets, and others!" the old house-elf smiled for what might be the first time in well over a decade.

"Very good. Nothing I tell you goes further than myself or those I allow to know, yes?" Delphi reiterates.

"Absolutely Mistress!" Kreacher chirped. Delphi could swear the house-elf lost a decade of age just by changing his posture from sulking to energetic and ready to serve.

"Bellatrix may have been my mother, but my father is slightly more complicated. His name was Tom Riddle. Though the Magical World here and abroad knew him as the Dark Lord Voldemort."

Kreacher trembled with fear for a moment before Delphi squatted down to his level gave him a wry grin, "No need to fear my father, I killed him tonight. He had others, more of _these,_" she said as she swung Slytherin's locket gently in front of him. "I destroyed those that weren't done in by other people. And I killed him last night in front of witnesses. You have nothing to fear from the man who cost you your master Regulus. And so long as you do my bidding, you haven't got anything to fear from me either." Delphi decided to firm, with a touch of underlying cruelty. She wasn't a total pushover, and Kreacher absolutely responsible for his previous master's death to a degree.

"It is a pleasure to serve a proper pureblood once more." Kreacher bowed low.

"Full disclosure, Lord Voldemort," Kreacher flinched, "My father, was a half-blood who grew up in an orphanage, cast aside by the Magical world, _loathing _muggles. So technically I'm a half-blood. Grandad on father's side was a rich muggle."

Kreacher gaped at her, but Delphi said, "However, I think that my raw power makes up for any perceived weakness in my breeding, wouldn't you say?" Delphi sneered as she allowed some of her power to leak over the bond she now shared with Kreacher; giving him a flicker of her real power, and he trembled. "So, can I expect absolute loyalty from you, Kreacher?" He nodded frantically. "Good. In the room over there is a child. Her name is Zelda. She's my daughter, and her safety is paramount. If ever comes a time you are forced to choose between her safety, her life, or literally anybody else _including mine_? You will choose Zelda every single time, do you comprehend that standing order? I'd rather you let the world burn than have her harmed, and you will help me. Never compromise Zelda's safety."

"Yes. Miss Zelda's health matters most," Kreacher squeaked. It's not the first time he was given such an order.

"That said, my orders supersede little Zelda's. If she tells you to do something like take her outside my protections, or something else that might jeopardize her wellbeing, you will check with me first. Use your common sense, basically. Otherwise follow her orders. Oh, you are not to follow the orders of anyone other than myself and Zelda, without first consulting me. I'm aware that Sirius' chosen heir may have pull over you. But I will fix that in short order. In the meantime, you will not let him know you serve another other than him. Same goes for Narcissa or Draco."

"It will be done Mistress!" Kreacher replied.

"You will not return…" Delphi paused, "Actually, I have an idea. Can you tell if Narcissa is alone _right now_?"

"Yes, she is, Mistress." Kreacher replied.

"Bring her to me," Delphi commanded.

And so it was done. Narcissa appeared at Kreacher's side, completely bewildered. "Hey auntie!" Delphi chirped as she fired a stunner at point blank range into the Lady Malfoy. Delphi deftly caught her aunt before she sagged to the floor, and looked down at Kreacher. "_Incarcerous,_" Delphi muttered. Instead of the chains that she had conjured earlier In the night to bind Bellatrix, Narcissa was bound with a much kinder pair of steel handcuffs with a chain connecting them to her similarly bound feet. Delphi levitated her aunt, removing the woman's wand and the three separate knives she carried on her person. A quick scanning charm didn't detect any other items.

"Put her on an unoccupied bed and change out her clothes for some of my own sleepwear. She'll be unconscious for the rest of the night. You will take no orders from her, you will not allow her to leave the room. Once you have placed her there and arranged her sleeping accommodations, you will not acknowledge her presence unless I ask you to, and you will not enter her room again unless she is in mortal peril; then you may save her. But my other orders still apply once that hypothetical situation is ramified."

Delphi continued once Kreacher returned from putting Narcissa in the guest room. Delphi waved her hand at the door, locking it beyond any but the strongest unlocking charm, and making the lock itself impervious to tampering. "You will go shopping for Zelda's clothes in Diagon Alley, the auto-fitting ones from Madam Malkin's should suffice. I'm sure you've experience with such things when looking after the black sisters. After that is done, you will return and wait for new orders," Delphi paused, "Oh, a few more things. Firstly, before you return from Diagon Alley, get yourself something to wear fitting of the House of Black; I would not have you looking like a peasant if I can help it. Secondly, call me Delphi. Here's some money," she handed him one of her prepared bags of galleons. This one held 250 galleons, certainly more than enough for the tasks she assigned of him.

Delphi produced two letters and a business card. "This card goes to Albus Dumbledore. Tell him he can owl me tomorrow at the location given on the card, but tonight is for sleeping. Give this letter to Mr. Harry Potter, no need to speak to him. And give this letter to one of the tellers in Gringotts along with _this_," she pulled out a second small pouch of coin, "For their accommodating my business at such an inconvenient hour. You will show the Gringotts's employees the utmost respect, am I understood?"

"Yes, Mistress Delphi!" Kreacher grinned wildly. He'd been waiting for a worthy master for _so _long. He disappeared with a quiet _pop_ and Delphi was once again alone in her flat with Zelda.

Delphi wandered into Zelda's room to look at her new charge. Delphi smiled sadly as she stroked the girl's wavy black tresses, and before she could help herself, she burst into silent tears, the emotions of the night catching up with her finally.

Kreacher returned after Delphi had recovered herself nearly half an hour after he departed. She had changed into her normal sleepwear, men's boxers and a too large muggle t-shirt.

Her house-elf was carrying several bags bursting with clothes. "Your business is done, and the letters have been delivered," Kreacher proclaimed proudly. Kreacher himself was dressed in a suit tailored for him, and it looked far better than the rags he had been wearing before.

Delphi grinned at him, "You're looking good, put the clothes away then I think I shall retire for the night."

"Thank you Mistress," Kreacher said as he did her bidding once more.

Once Kreacher was out of the room, Delphi went to lay on her bed next to where she placed Zelda when they arrived in Delphi's home. It did not take long after she got under the covers to fall into the realm of dreams.

Then she woke up. It was just after dawn. In the night, Zelda had curled up into her arms, using her as a pillow now. This was _new_. Delphi lightly stroked the girl's hair and took a deep breath. Doing the right thing…or even what _Delphi _considered the right thing was not something she had done much in her life. Taking in a _child_, even if it was the girl who _used _to be her mum…for all of an evening.

Delphi walked into the kitchen and put on a pot of water. Another similarity to adult Potter she gleaned from her foray into his unprotected thoughts back in her native timeline was that they were both adept cooks. Having been raised as a slave in all but name, household chores were something she reluctantly exceled at. Though with cooking Delphi could allow a sliver of pride to slip in with her resentment. So pasta for breakfast it was. _Shit. What will Zelda like to eat?_

Delphi shrugged. If Zelda didn't like it, they could go to any of the many good restaurants inside of a ten-minute walk. She pulled out a pan and some bacon, set to low heat. She then grated parmesan onto a cutting board. It was then that Kreacher made his presence known, "Mistress! Allow Kreacher to do such menial tasks!" the old house-elf was nearly scandalized at the sight of his Mistress doing something as mundane as preparing her own meal.

Delphi shrugged, "Wash your hands thoroughly the muggle way with soap, then continue to manually grate this parmesan cheese for me, Kreacher," she replied. "I do appreciate the help, but there will be times I insist on cooking. It's simply a hobby born from necessity. No different than reading or taking a walk. In the future, if you see me doing a task around my home you deem to be beneath my status, trust that I have a reason for doing it. That reason will likely never be that I lack faith in _your _capabilities, is that clear?" Delphi's words were firm, but her tone was far kinder than she had addressed him the night before.

"Very well, Mistress. Kreacher does not understand, but Kreacher will obey," the house-elf said grudgingly. Once the bacon was done, she removed it to a paper towel covered plate to soak up the oil and set it aside.

The water pot began to boil and Delphi put a spoonful of salt in the water, causing it to billow out in a cloud before it was dissolved. Once the fettuccine pasta was in the boiling water, Delphi got out the butter and placed it on the board next to the cheese. She then turned to Kreacher and said, "Stir occasionally and in five minutes knock on the door to alert me it's time for me to start tasting it to test for completion."

"Yes Mistress," Kreacher nodded.

Delphi chose that moment to introduce herself to Zelda. Opening the door, she chuckled as the girl on the bead was obviously missing her body pillow. "Zelda? Zelda? It's time to wake up," Delphi said softly as she nudged the small child's shoulder. Delphi wasn't exactly sure how old Zelda was, but based on appearances she'd say between two and four. Young enough that she wouldn't have to concoct an elaborate story for the girl right away.

Zelda groaned in annoyance at being woken so abruptly before opening her eyes to the woman smiling down at her. "Huh?"

Delphi laughed as she sat down and brushed Zelda's hair clear of her line of sight. "Hi there, it's time to wake up sleepy head," Delphi's tone wasn't _overly _childish. No crooning or anything, but it was almost unnaturally soft for her. She'd probably get used to speaking to the girl within the week.

Zelda tilted her head, not completely awake yet and reached out her arms. She wanted to be _carried_, the lazy little thing. Delphi shrugged and picked up the toddler and held her firmly to her chest. Zelda murmured contentedly, no doubt seeking to use Delphi as a mobile sleeping location. Delphi chuckled as the toddler snuffled into her neck. "I love you, little Zelda," Delphi said slowly and clearly.

"Hi," Zelda replied with a shyness that very much surprised Delphini. "Where is mummy?" Zelda asked with wide eyes.

Delphi considered exactly how to answer, and replied, "I'm going to be looking after you now. Is that okay?"

Zelda tilted her head, slightly confused, but said, "Are you my new mummy?"

"If you want me to be, then yes. But if you don't want to call me 'mum' yet, you can call me Delphi," the young woman replied. Delphi chose this moment to shift her appearance from the 'teenager' who killed Lord Voldemort to the blonde and blue haired woman in her twenties she normally was. Zelda's eyes grew to the size of saucers at the unexpected change.

Zelda let out a small laugh and clapped her hands. But suddenly her merriment seemed to dim a little and she asked much more shyly, "Do it again?"

Delphi knew _exactly _the kind of parenting that taught Zelda's response. The shit kind. So, Delphi spent the next couple minutes changing her hair and eye color, eventually landing on something that looked much like the older version of the disguise she used in the Department of Mysteries. "Hi!" Delphi's smile split her face as the toddler played with her longer black hair.

A knock came from the door. The pasta was almost ready. "Thanks, Kreacher," Delphi said loudly enough for him to hear her. "Are you hungry?" Delphi asked the toddler. She considered for a moment before nodding quietly. "Have you ever had pasta before?" Zelda looked confused, so Delphi took that as a _maybe_. "C'mon, let's go wash hands and then sit down, yeah?"

Delphi carried Zelda out into the dining room and sat her at the table after casually transfiguring one of the chairs, so it was more suitable for someone small like Zelda. "This is Kreacher, our house-elf." Kreacher immediately recognized Zelda as the child Bellatrix Black once was, and before he could exclaim it, Delphi headed him off with a calm but sharp-eyed warning, "_This _is **Zelda**, and she is to be referred to as such." Delphi quickly motioned Kreacher back into the kitchen once Zelda was in her seat.

"Bellatrix Black Lestrange doesn't exist in this house. This was the only way I could save my mother, by making her my…daughter of sorts. I used arcane magic to do it, and you will never compromise her identity. If you so much as insinuate that Bellatrix and Zelda are the same person, I will order you to kill yourself do you understand me," Delphi whisper-yelled at him as she took a solo strand of fettucine to test the texture…perfectly al dente.

She moved the pasta to a strainer in the sink and turned to look at Kreacher as the steam rose around her head, making the glare of red from her eyes even more intimidating. "I gave you an order Kreacher, do you understand it?"

"Y-Yes, Mistress," Kreacher responded. He was still wrapping his head around the fact that Mistress Bella was alive!

"Her security is paramount, but I should make clear that I'm not asking you to love her any less than you did when she was Bellatrix, okay?," Delphi relented, her eyes returning to their normal colour.

"Kreacher understands, Mistress Delphi."

"Good. Get plates out for myself and Zelda. Yourself if you want some, don't feel obligated to accept or refuse," Delphi said as she put a little piece of butter, the bacon, and the pasta into a mixing bowl along with half the grated cheese. She mixed until most of the cheese had melted, put in another piece of butter and a dash of cream to loosen the pasta up a little. Zelda was watching her make their food with much interest. Kreacher had an 'I could probably do better,' expression on, but Delphi didn't notice.

As it turns out, Zelda loved the pasta, and Delphi couldn't help but be extremely proud of herself. Even Kreacher grudgingly admitted it was good; he still didn't approve of his mistress doing the cooking on principle.

Later that morning, Delphi and Zelda found themselves inside of Gringotts's Bank. "I believe you received my letter in the early morning?"

"Yes. You've requested a blood adoption."

"I have. I understand that's within my rights as the current Head of House Black," Delphi responded genially.

"You are correct, witch. Follow me," the goblin said as he lead her back into one of their many antechambers. "You understand her physical appearance is likely to change, as well as her magical aptitudes and potentially abilities?"

"I understand. I trust the papers I filed with you via my house-elf were sufficient?" Delphi asked.

"Unusual, but very much in order, yes," the goblin replied neutrally. "After you removed Riddle's horcrux from the Lestrange vaults, we decided to give you the benefit of the doubt for that service to us."

"Thank you master goblin," Delphi replied with a grin.

The room they were in held an impressive ritual circle. A circle that Delphi knew was made for specifically this kind of procedure. She knew that she had to 'blood adopt' Zelda. It just wouldn't be good if young Zelda grew up looking like Bellatrix Lestrange's doppelgänger.

"Very well, you stand there, and you," he gestured to Zelda, "stand in this part of the circle," the goblin

"It's alright Zelda, I wouldn't let anyone hurt you," Delphi crouched down to the little girls' level and gave her a quick hug before ushering her a few steps in front of her so they were standing on the proper places for the quick ritual.

"The parent must shed blood, oh good, you've already taken care of that," the goblin said as he noticed Delphi gently drawing a line of red across her palm with her trench knife. "And place it _there_," and this will be over in short order," the goblin was pleased he didn't have to explain the nuances to this witch. She clearly knew what she was doing.

When Delphi placed her bloody hand on the allotted rune in the larger ritual circle, the whole thing glowed, and read beads of light flowed from Delphi to Zelda.

Zelda squealed joyfully as the crimson beads of light entered her. Delphi raised an eyebrow, apparently it was ticklish. Delphi could already see changes occurring in Zelda. She grew a couple inches, though her proportions stayed the same, so she wasn't _aging_, just getting a little taller for her young age. The light flared thrice before the whole ritual circle went dark again.

"That concludes the adoption. If you would be swift in filling out the requisite forms here and here, our business for today will likely be concluded," the goblin said.

"Zelda, are you feeling alright?" Delphi asked as the small girl looked in wonderment at her continuously changing hair.

Zelda _had _changed, physically. And the goblin wasn't joking about abilities being transferred. It would seem that Delphi had accidentally made her new daughter Zelda a metamorphagus. Delphi looked on in fascination as Zelda's 'base' form revealed itself. Zelda's once pure black hair was now streaked with crimson in much the same way her own blonde was streaked with blue. Most of Zelda's facial features were the same, maybe her nose was a little longer, but the thing that really surprised Delphi were her eyes. Zelda's new eyes really did confirm beyond the shadow of a doubt that she really did inherit some of her DNA makeup from Harry Potter. Because Zelda's eyes were now a slightly darker shade of Lily Evans' eyes.

"Which surname?" Delphi muttered to herself as she went to pick up her new daughter. Because that was their official, legal, relationship now. And magical or DNA testing would confirm it; Delphi was the mother of Zelda, not the other way around anymore.

Delphi thought for a moment at the choosing of surnames as different possibilities were laid out in front of her. She could choose Riddle, nope. It was a silly name with terrible associations. Black? Maybe. Slytherin was out because Delphi just didn't like the associated puns, also it had serious negative implications for Zelda, and that wasn't a burden she wanted her now daughter to carry. Gaunt was out, for multiple reasons that didn't need mentioning. She could probably claim the names Pettigrew or Potter at a stretch, but why would she court trouble like that?

Peverell. It was a name she had a right to, it was obscure, and not many other than those who studied the Deathly Hallows knew about it. She also had a right to use it. She was the heir of the second brother, Cadmus Peverell. Ignotus Peverell's line had a right to the cloak, but the Stone of Resurrection, and the very name Peverell was Delphini's by right of any real law of inheritance. "Our surname will be Peverell. And as my daughter, her name will be Zelda Venator Peverell. It keeps with the Black family constellation theme, if indirectly. I believe it still follows the pure-blood standard closely enough. We can revisit it when she's older if she has strong opinions about it," Delphi said with a shrug. She filled out the forms and sealed them with a drop of blood from her hand.

"I would also like to have Sirius Black's will read today," Delphi said with a slight grin. "I believe with Sirius Black's death, you've been notified that his will is now available?"

"It is. Did you kill him? I'm required to ask," the goblin asked with an eyebrow raised.

"No. But I saw him fall through the Veil of Death propelled by a spell fired from Lord Voldemort's wand. I believe the Potter Heir will be written into it. If you could confirm that, I could have him and any others in his will mentioned post-haste," Delphi said with a kind smile. She adjusted the toddler in her arms and Zelda burrowed her face into Delphi's hair, which wasn't in it's normal bun and instead falling down her chest and past her shoulders.

"Wait a few minutes." The goblin departed the room and the mother and daughter were left alone.

"Zelda, hey, don't fall asleep again silly, it's still the morning," Delphi cajoled her daughter.

"Are you my mummy now?" Zelda asked. Delphi's eyes lit up with excitement. The little girl was far keener than she'd initially believed.

"Yes. I am officially your mummy now," Delphi said with a small kiss to the red/black haired toddler.

"Will you hit me like old mummy and daddy?" Zelda asked quietly. Delphi found herself repressing a surge of murderous intent towards Bellatrix's parents for the abuse they'd apparently already heaped on their child. It was a shame they were decades dead. Delphi would have _loved _to get her hands on them.

"Never. I will never hurt you my darling." Delphi set the girl down so she could look into Zelda's eyes as she said this. She raised a hand and stroked the teary-eyed toddler's cheek. "Your old mummy and daddy were bad people. And it's _not_ your fault that they hurt you. Never your fault they hurt you. And if _anybody _hurts you from now on, tell me right away, or call Kreacher and we'll stop them, do you understand, my darling 'Belle," Delphi said slowly.

Zelda nodded, but her head tilted in confusion, "Whas 'belle'?"

"It means beauty. Which you are. You're a little beauty, Zelda," Delphi said as she tickled the girl, eliciting peals of laughter as she swept her giggling daughter back into her arms.

The goblin returned to the room with little fanfare. "Harry Potter, Narcissa Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Andromeda Tonks, Ted Tonks, Nymphadora Tonks, Hermione Granger, and Remus Lupin are mentioned in the will."

"I could arrange for my house-elf to bring them all within minutes, if that would serve you. Granger was badly injured during the assault on the Department of Mysteries, so she will be absent. She'll know to come into the bank once she's fit to." Delphi shrugged.

"You are not in the will," the goblin said pointedly.

"I'm sure you've double-checked, but as things stand, I'm the Head of House Black. It's a patriarchal line at the moment, but since I was born with male genitalia, I am in the eyes of the Black Charter, a man; as much as I loath to use such a standard. My mother was Bellatrix Black Lestrange, and as her child I'm the next in line for the mantle over such parties as her sisters or their respective children. Though I believe Andromeda was disinherited. Anyway, as Head of the house, I'm allowed to be at the will reading of one of my own. So, may I bring the mentioned parties forward?"

"Everything you've said is true. But your daughter doesn't have such an excuse for being in the room when the will is read. I'm going to have to ask you to part with her for a few minutes," the goblin stopped as he saw the _hate _in Delphi's eyes.

"Let me tell you this once. Zelda goes where I say she goes, and right now, she's with me. Any attempt to part her from me will result in a catastrophic loss of goblin lives. Zelda stays with me, and we can pretend this conversation is purely academic. So, what will it be master goblin?" Delphi's tone was far kinder than the dark look in her eyes would suggest. She flared her power in a similar way to what she did when Kreacher questioned her. The goblin gulped as her shadow filled the room and injected fear into his soul. "So, may I send off my house-elf to retrieve the relevant parties? I'll let you clear this room for elf-based magic."

The goblin didn't take kindly to being threatened, but he could sense the murderous intent wane as she retracted her power back into her body like a cat retracting its claws. He knew she was only acting such as she perceived a threat to her young, and as much as it pained him, he admitted that while the goblins of Gringotts's may eventually overwhelm somebody of her power, the casualties she could inflict on them before her fall would amount to a genocide. Not worth keeping the psycho's daughter in a waiting room for five minutes. Not worth it _at all_.

The goblin snapped his fingers and a shimmer was seen around the perimeter. "You may summon your elf. Apologies for my earlier presumption. It did not carry malevolent intent."

"Not at all," Delphi said as she waved her free hand casually. "I lost my temper, the fault is mine." Not-surprisingly, the goblin wasn't reassured. "Kreacher."

"Yes, Mistress Delphi!" Kreacher bowed as he appeared with a _pop_.

"Bring Narcissa here, and then inform Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks their presence is required for the will reading of Sirius Black. Tell Nymphadora it's a _family matter_ and that if she attempts to bring any Order members with her, Gringotts Bank will not take kindly to it. Also, bring Harry Potter here as well, and Remus Lupin last." Kreacher nodded and departed with a _pop_.

Less than five minutes later the room was full of confused beneficiaries of Sirius' will.

"Why is my mother in chains!" Draco yelled at anybody who would listen. He quickly found that Delphi didn't appreciate his loudness as evidenced by Zelda flinching, and he was now in chains himself.

"Mind your tone Draco. There's a child in the room." Things got quieter after that.

"Who are you?" Andromeda asked. Delphi took a short moment to really look at her elder aunt. Unlike Narcissa, who was weirdly a natural blonde, Andromeda's inky hair was in an elegant braid. She really did look like Bellatrix.

"Bellatrix's daughter. My name is Delphi, and this is my daughter Zelda," Delphi replied matter-of-factly, ignoring the surprised noise coming from those not in the know.

"You killed Voldemort," Harry said calmly. He didn't look good. He lost his best friend and godfather in the same night. He also got hit with a killing curse, and somehow survived again, so that was interesting.

"Yes I did. I'll discuss everything to do with that once Lovegood and Granger recover enough to hold conversation. For now, let's get this reading moving along shall we?" Delphi said calmly.

"Very well, my name is Cutknife. Mr. Black has left a few letters for individuals with personal sentiment, their contents are not our business. But I will distribute those now." Cutknife handed out a letter to Andromeda, Narcissa, Lupin, and Harry. "Now that's taken care of, the will of Sirius Orion Black reads thus: To Hermione Granger, I leave my library. I'm sure you'll get a kick out of the Black family tomes; God knows I never cared for them."

Harry chuckled at that. Lupin grinned as well, knowing Granger's life-long love with academia. "To Remus Lupin I leave 10,000 galleons. Get yourself a better wardrobe my friend, you deserve to treat yourself better. I know you've had trouble making ends meet, and with this, you'll have to accept my charity this time because I'm dead. So there."

Lupin smiled sadly and nodded. It was totally something Sirius would do in death. Even then he looked out for his friends.

"To Andromeda Tonks, I hereby reinstate you and your family to the Black Family. Thinks went to hell once you were gone and I think you and your daughter shouldn't be left out your deserved inheritance because our fathers were arseholes. To Nymphadora, I leave my old Auror robes along with my wand-holsters and a few books on dark magic I separated from Hermione's library. Good luck kid, and welcome to the family."

"To Narcissa, I hereby annul your marriage to Lucius Abraxas Malfoy. It is my right as Head of our House to do that, since dear Luci violated the prenuptial agreement regarding fidelity. His taking the Dark Mark violates it since the soul magic involved definitely counts as him pledging himself to somebody other than you. Cissi, you always deserved better than that peacock, and honestly, you need to get your son away from Voldemort before he's another casualty, and here's a legal way for you to do that. Here's 5,000 galleons to help you start off without the Malfoy fortune. Good luck cousin; choose well. Draco gets a small share of that as well to help himself so long as he doesn't use it to be a ponce."

Draco looked insulted but reigned it in because free cash. Narcissa **Black**, who hadn't spoken yet had tears in her eyes and it looked like her emotions were all over the place. "And finally, to my godson Harry Potter, I leave everything else I have to give. I name you my heir, and I'm so proud of you. I know James and Lily are too. Don't mourn me too much, I know you have a tendency to brood. You get that from Lily actually. Take care of Buckbeak and don't trust Kreacher. Goodbye my son." Cutknife the goblin waited a few moments for Harry Potter to collect himself after that emotional farewell.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Potter. Since you do not have direct Black blood within two generations, it was not Sirius Black's place to name you his heir in regard to the Headship of the Black Family while other Blacks live. Likewise, any property owned by the Black Family, and not Sirius Black _personally _were not within his rights to bequeath. Everything else stands though. I will give you all five minutes, after which I will have to ask you all to depart, since this is not the only will reading today. Several Purebloods with inheritances died last night. The relevant sums have been moved from Sirius Black's vault to where he decreed it should go."

Harry looked confused, and a little upset, but before he could think about it too hard Delphi spoke up, "You can stay at your Order Headquarters, Potter. I have elsewhere I prefer to live, and while it is in the Black Family name, you can do what you like with it so long as it _stays _in the Black Family name."

"_You're _the head of the Black Family?" Nymphadora Tonks asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I am. Bellatrix was the eldest of the three Black sisters, and since Sirius is dead, Headship reverts to her, but she's gone. So that leaves me as her sole heir. If I were dead, it'd go to Narcissa since middle child Andromeda was formally disinherited for eloping with your father," Delphi explained calmly. "Welcome back to the fold, Narcissa. And Draco, I did promise I'd show you some memories did I not, before the fighting started last night."

"What are you talking about?" Narcissa asked, eyes wide.

"Draco was there, with the other students. I secured his safety, don't worry yourself too much, Auntie," Delphi said with a sneer. "Are you ready?" Draco flinched, but nodded, too scared to try anything. Delphi stunned him, then placed a hand on her youngest cousin's temple where a soft glow emerged, then died out. "Done and done."

"What did you do," Narcissa was very afraid of the woman who had so effortlessly kidnapped her from Malfoy Manor.

"Injected roughly an hour of last night's events into his head from the perspective of Luna Lovegood," Delphi replied as she re-adjusted her hold on Zelda.

"Xeno's kid? The girl who lost an arm?" Nymphadora asked with a grimace.

"Yes," Delphi grinned. "I wanted him to understand what it meant to side with the Death Eaters, and now he'll not retread his father's mistake without a twinge of phantom pain. Quite clever if I say so myself," Delphi finished with a smile.

"You're definitely _her _daughter," Andromeda concluded as she regarded the younger woman standing before her.

"Thank you Auntie," Delphi said with a nearly blinding smile.

"It wasn't a complement," Andromeda muttered, but even that didn't dim Delphi's smile.

"Kreacher can get you all back to your previous locations if you want him to. Or I suppose you could leave on your own. _You _however are now homeless as I doubt the Malfoy Manor would allow you back in now your marriage with Lucius is voided."

Narcissa flinched at that, but Draco spoke up, "I could let her in. It won't be a problem."

"No. She stays with me for the moment. At least until I purge Malfoy Manor of all Death Eater scum," Delphi looked him in the eye as she said it. "Your father got lucky last night when he crossed my path. It won't happen a second time. Besides, I think your friend Parkinson will probably be in here today. You know, what with her father going so _green _in the face. Cutknife probably has her in a waiting room here already."

Narcissa put a calming hand on Draco's shoulder as he was about to unwisely retort. "I'll go with you, but could you take the chains off first?"

"Not until I have a certain discussion with you. _That_ will happen back at my place. Now. I'm going to spend the rest of the day with my _daughter_, so I'll see you all later. Oh, here's a place where you can owl me."

"Thanks," Harry said just as Delphi, Zelda, and Narcissa were leaving the room.

"Pardon?" Delphi half-turned to face the young Potter.

"For saving Ginny, Luna, and the rest of us last night. Ginny told us how you saved us from Voldemort, and that he was your father too. It was brave. To face your father like that," Harry said with genuine feeling in his voice.

For the first time that day, Delphi was truly taken aback, and it showed briefly on her face. "I–Thank you, Harry. He was my responsibility, family and all." Delphi shrugged emptily before turning and summoning Kreacher to take herself, Narcissa, and Zelda back to her flat. _Perhaps I really have underestimated Potter after all, he seems nothing like his arrogant adult self._


	9. Intertwined

CHAPTER: Bedside Manner

It had been a month since the battle. Pansy was now Lady Parkinson, Head of the Parkinson Family. When the goblin had read her father's will declaring his single heiress as much, she laughed until she cried. She tipped the goblin generously for witnessing such a shameful outburst. What 'Parkinson Family'? I'm the only one.

She wandered Diagon Alley and picked up the Daily Prophet, DARK LORD VOLDEMORT SLAIN IN ASSAULT ON THE MINISTRY: WHO IS THE MYSTRIOUS GIRL WHO HAS STRUCK DOWN THE VILLAIN?

Pansy chuckled darkly as she fiddled with her signet ring. At least she didn't have her father prostituting her to the Malfoys to look forward to anymore, so there were definitely bonuses of being a newly orphaned young woman. It was lucky the Parkinson inheritance charter didn't have anything against an heiress or heir killing their head of house.

She found herself standing in front of Ollivanders' looking in with real intent since the time she was eleven years old. "Ms. Parkinson! Unicorn hair and Birch wood. What brings you back to my store young lady?"

Pansy twitched at the ancient man in front of her calling her 'young lady' after the hell that she just went through, but she wasn't Slytherin for her hot temper. "My wand was destroyed in a fight with death eaters. I need a new one." It wasn't technically untrue. She deliberately snapped it herself when the Aurors were busying themselves getting Luna and Hermione onto stretchers and to St. Mungos post-haste. Fudge being a blithering idiot, Harry Potter coming back from the dead, and Dumbledore's people running around from room to room looking for other Death Eaters made for articulate distraction. Pansy wasn't naïve. She was sixteen. She'd be a legal adult in less than five months. Casting an Avada Kedavra under any circumstance would likely mean life in Azkaban, which wasn't something she was foolish enough to risk. She just hoped none of the upright and righteous Gryffindors would sell her out.

"I see. Well, I'm sure you remember the process. If you could tell me of any significant and perhaps non-invasive personality changes since you were here last? Events that may have shaped you? Your ambitions in life perhaps may have changed? It might hasten the process a tad. Then again, it might not. I can only direct interaction with the wands, I cannot control it," Ollivander replied genially. Pansy couldn't help but think Ollivander and Luna Lovegood would be good friends.

Pansy only needed the most fleeting of thoughts of Luna to ignite the memory of her screams.

_The new orphan Pansy Parkinson didn't sleep a wink. She was in St. Mungo's waiting room for most of the night while they were operating on the youngest Lovegood. She met Luna's father, who was distraught, but greatly relieved when the healers told him first thing that his daughter would survive the night. It really just threw in her face what a monster her own father had been._

_ "Who would do this to my Luna?" he muttered as he slumped into the seat opposite of Pansy. Pansy, who had Luna's blood all over her, even still._

_ "My father," Pansy rasped out._

_ Xenophilius' eyes widened as he acknowledged for the first time the blood-soaked teenage girl in front of him. He noticed the dead look in her eye, and realised exactly who's blood it was that covered nearly half her torso and face in dripping red. Pansy met his eyes for a moment to say, "I got him back worse. I got him back for her," she looked down again. She was unable to keep eye contact with the man whose daughter lay mutilated in surgery._

Pansy's eyes glazed over slightly as she got her traumatic thoughts back in order to consider Ollivander's questions. "I suppose I'm more vengeful," she said lightly. _AVADA_ _KEDAVRA_. "I…I think some things recently became clear to me. I've gained clarity." _Avada_ _Kedavra_. Her father's posture slack with surprise, wide eyes in hid dead face. "'Any means to achieve our ends,'" she quoted the Sorting Hat under her breath.

Ollivander observed her for a long, uncomfortable moment before saying, "I think I may have a few wands for you to try Miss Parkinson."

"It's Lady Parkinson," Pansy corrected him. Not snidely, or even unkindly. Her voice was empty as she followed that up with, "My father is dead." For the life of her Pansy didn't know why she was basically on the verge of confessing patricide to this dithering old man.

"My apologies Lady Parkinson, and my condolences as well," Ollivander corrected himself seamlessly and with a sort of Pureblood decorum that he hadn't previously seemed invested in.

Pansy nodded her head wordlessly. Ollivander went back into his shop with a swish of his slightly overly long coat that he probably bought when Victoria was Queen. He returned with a few wands. The first one she picked up looked quite pretty really. It had silver markings like vines running up its length. It shattered as soon a she waved it.

"No, no that one," Ollivander muttered to himself. Pansy gently laid down the quarter of the wand that had a singed unicorn hair sticking out of it.

The second shattered the windows.

The third set fire to the shelf behind Ollivander.

The twelfth wand turned Pansy's clothes omlette yellow. "Not this one either," Pansy muttered. She fucking hated yellow.

Ollivander looked around at the scars his shop would now bear from this session alone. He looked at the girl in front of him and his eyes narrowed before he went back to retrieve what would be wand number thirteen. Pansy slumped onto the bench that was normally reserved for those waiting. But the wandmaker couldn't really blame the girl.

He went back to retrieve another wand. Frankly by this point Pansy didn't feel very optimistic and wondered if she should try to find a wand that worked for on the continent. _What was that other wandmaker's name? Gregorovich. _"Well, I'm sorry for wasting your time like this Mr. Ollivander. Send my estate the bill for all the ruined wands, I'll reimburse you," Pansy said with a frown.

"Wait! That's all well and good, but I have fantastic feeling about this one. My elder sister made this wand when she was in her thirties and nobody's claimed it. It's also never come to damage when others fail to claim it…unlike all of these ones," he gestured about the wand graveyard Pansy had inadvertednly created.

Pansy raised an eybrow at the ancient man's explanation. She'd never known he even had siblings and would never had asked. "I figured you built all these wands," she replied lamely.

"You wouldn't be the only one. Most believe that as a matter of fact. While _most _of these certainly were crafted with these hands," he did a little jazz-hands gesture. "There are at least a dozen of them that were made by family of mine, if not in England, then sent in from their shops abroad. _This _wand, the one I _hope _will choose you, dear God," he muttered as an aside, "This wand was made in America for instance and sent here from my sister's shop on Manhattan Island."

"What's the harm?" Pansy muttered to herself.

She reached out to take the wand from its box after Ollivander laid it out on his desk. It wasn't the prettiest wand. It had an odd form for a wand. The hilt was curved slightly, and the wand's body had an odd zig-zag like pattern carved into the wand's body.

Pansy Parkinson knew the moment the wand settled perfectly in her fingers that she had found her new wand. It felt cold rather than warm, but the feeling sped up her arm and settled around her heart like a cooling charm on a sweltering day.

"Fantastic!" Ollivander crowed. "This is a hybrid wand in more than one way. The hilt is Yew, while the body is Snakewood taken from a very specific tree that lives on the Ilvermorny Campus. The cores extend into the hilt, Unicorn hair, and Thestral Hair, intertwined. This is a special wand, Ms. Parkinson, and I dare say that you'll do wonders with it. Something you should know, Ms. Parkinson," Ollivander called after her as she turned the door handle to leave. "This wand's twin is here as well. Would you like me to notify you when it's sold?"

Pansy tilted her head and thought for a minute. She recalled her father sayPansy smiled slightly and handed over the normal seven galleons. "Send me the bill for the others and have a good day Mr. Ollivander."

"And to you as well dear. My condolences about your father. My brother supported Grindelwald. If you ever want a friendly ear you're welcome to come in for a talk."

Pansy looked back and gave a non-committal nod and left the shop. On the way to St. Mungos she ran into Draco. "Hey, I'm sorry about your dad," the blond-haired boy said.

"I'm not. Would you like to join me going to St Mungo's?" Pansy replied smoothly. Draco looked at her with wide eyes. He looked like he was trying to remember something. The walk was thankfully short. St. Mungo's was on the same side of Diagon Alley that Ollivander's was so the walk there took less than five minutes.

"Why would you say that?" he asked after minutes of thought.

Pansy stopped just outside the door and nailed him to the spot with a dark look that melted into something entirely lacking emotion. "Didn't anybody tell you? I'm the one who put him down." Draco just looked on as she referred to her father as if he were nothing better than an insect she trod on. He knew she didn't exactly get along with him, even after what she confessed to him and Delphi about his crimes. But the man was dead. Delphi said he'd remember what Luna went through, but he didn't. _Did she do the spell wrong?_ He followed Pansy who was being led to the Spell Damage Ward. "I'm with her," he told the middle-aged man behind the desk who checked her in.

Pansy palmed her wand and whispered the incantation to conjure a small bouquet of violet pansies which she carried deftly in one hand until she pocketed her wand to hold it with both. She turned to Draco and said, "This is Lovegood's room. I'd like privacy. Granger's a couple doors down if you want to check on her. I think Dolohov got her with something horrid."

Draco considered and realised that calling out his best friend for her strange new attachment to the blonde-haired silver eyed Ravenclaw would result in a stay in this hospital for himself. "I'll see Granger then," he said quietly. Pansy nodded before opening the door, stepping into Lovegood's room and left her fellow Slytherin standing awkwardly in the hallway.

"What are you doing here?" came the rough voice from the ginger sitting at Luna's side. Pansy calmly ignored the angry girl and conjured a small vase for the flowers she brought. "She wouldn't want you here, _your _father did this," Ginny almost snarled.

. "She saved my life. You saw it yourself," Pansy said coldly as she pulled up a chair to sit by Luna's unoccupied right side. The side with a bloody stump wrapped in self-cleaning bandages. "Besides," Pansy said as her voice became positively glacial, "I more than bought the right to visit Luna with my father's life in change." Pansy's voice was quiet and cutting, but from Ginny's reactionary flinch, Pansy might as well have screamed at her instead.

"I…I'm sorry. That you had to do that," Ginny got out as she visibly struggled with what to say.

"I'm sorry your brother's dead. I didn't know him well, but he seemed loyal to the end," Pansy said in a tone approaching kindness. Ginny didn't reply, but Pansy didn't have to try very hard to imagine the harrowed girl clenching her fists as she looked upon her downed friend. "Is Granger going to make it?" Pansy honestly didn't know what else to say.

"Yeah. She had to have one of her breasts fixed up since the spell cut almost clear through it. She'll have a _big_ scar, like a sword cut her from shoulder to hip," Ginny said in a tone that sounded almost rehearsed if also painful to say aloud. "Healers said she'd need potions for the rest of the summer, but she'll be mostly alright when school starts up next."

Pansy nodded. There was an awkward silence as Luna breathed peacefully between them. Feeling a little too much of a voyeur, the Slytherin cast her eyes about until she landed on the dark blue book with a pen attached to it that was off by where Ginny had laid down her purse. "That's good. Is that a diary?"

Ginny started, eyes flying to Pansy's but she didn't find any condescension or mockery there. "Yeah. Um. Yeah it is." Ginny forced herself to remain calm.

"That's alright, you don't need to be embarrassed. I keep one too. Well, not as much this year. After the thirtieth day in a row that was just shite, I decided to give it a rest this school year for the most part," Pansy mused.

"Shite? I thought you Slytherins had it pretty good with Umbridge around?" Ginny asked with some genuine confusion mixed in there with some resentment.

Pansy let out a dark chuckle, "Do you really think _we _learned any more than you did? She was an abomination of a teacher. You lot had your Slytherin Exclusion Club, but we had to fend for ourselves, like usual. Is it any wonder to you that some of us used the fact our families are aligned with the Dark Lord _just _to scrape by in our O.W.L.s? Most of us are older now and seeing our parents licking the boots of _anyone _is disturbing."

"Malfoy seems to like his father well enough, and he's the chief Death Eater," Ginny retorted.

"_Malfoy's father _is now going to Azkaban for the rest of his life for trying to kill us. Also, Draco's a fucking idiot about his hero-worship of his father. It's a _wonder _Narcissa didn't just poison Lucius years ago honestly," Pansy said flippantly.

"Is that what you think?" Ginny asked, appalled.

"Yes," Pansy said calmly. "To save her son from growing up to become a bootlicker, to a fucking _half-blood _no less. You know what they say about Slytherins regarding 'means and ends."

Ginny shuddered at the type of mentality that would generate murder as a legitimate solution. But then again, she couldn't help but feel so _relieved _when Pansy fired that _Avada Kedavra _into her own father. Pansy killed her own father. For Luna. It was just too much to wrap her head around. Ginny would have to bring it up in her next session with her new _therapist _Fleur Delacour. "I had him in my head you know, Tom. Lord Voldemort."

Pansy looked up from Luna's sleeping form to meet the fierce doe eyes of the youngest Weasley. "I didn't know that. When?"

"Chamber of Secrets. He possessed me with a diary he enchanted when he was about your age actually," Ginny said softly. If somebody were to tie her to a chair and ask her why the hell she was suddenly confiding in Pansy Parkinson 'the Queen of Slytherin' no less, she would have no satisfying answers for them.

"Damn," Pansy whispered. She looked back to Luna, who shifted slightly in her sleep, but remained firmly in the world of dreams. "You're brave, for telling me. Hell, for telling anyone."

"Well, he's dead now." Ginny said. As if that were an answer. She looked up at Pansy, who was still looking down at Luna with something intense but undefined in her gaze. Ginny let out a small chuckle before rising to her feet. "Well, I have an appointment I need to go to in ten minutes. I'll leave Luna in your hands."

"Oh, alright," Pansy said with a little surprise.

"I don't know why she saved you, but you damn well make it up to her somehow, you hear me?" Ginny said firmly. It wasn't an accusation exactly, but Pansy flinched all the same before fortifying herself

"I think I'll spend most of the rest of my life doing exactly that Ginny," Pansy met Ginny's gaze with an intensity the Weasley had never seen from the Slytherin girl before.


	10. Unchained

CHAPTER: Unchained

Granger and Lovegood had been released from the hospital earlier in the week after a long stay. Delphi heard about it from Narcissa, who was updated by Draco and Pansy. The Dark Lord's daughter believed it was time to settle things with Albus Dumbledore and the ministry Six, plus Parkinson and young Malfoy. She sent the headmaster a letter indicating such and leaving another matter open for discussion if he was interested.

Since Delphi had purchased the land to the apartment complex as well as the building itself (using the Lestrange Vault), she made money renting most of the flats out to tenants. But she also commissioned some Gringotts's finest goblin curse breakers to have the top floor warded for the purpose of maintaining magical expansion via the permanent undetectable expansion runes. It was basically a similar though more powerful version of the runes Delphi had all over her clothes to allow for her hilariously 'infinite' pockets. To put it simply as one of Zelda's new favorite television shows would: each top floor flat was bigger on the inside.

Delphi filled a bowl from the large pot of chicken soup with egg noodles she and Narcissa had prepared. Bullying the former Malfoy Matriarch into kitchen labour was one of the highlights of Delphi's week. Levitating the two bowls of soup and a generous plate of toasted baguette, finished by two empty cups; Delphi made her way out of her personal flat and into the one across the hallway. The door opened for her automatically and she glided across the threshold into a flat no less luxurious than the one she and her daughter slept in. "Are you awake?" Delphi called out once the door closed and locked itself behind her. She walked over to the dining table and set down the food she had brought.

There was a strange sound as something large dragged itself along the fine carpet before a hissing response had Delphi rolling her eyes. "Look, I brought us food to share. I even added the extra chicken into this one as you requested, _and _I brought us baguette instead of the healthier wheat and multigrain stuff you hate this time. See? I can learn. Now come on out!" Delphi's tone did that thing where even when sounding imperious, it carried undertones of kindness. She wanted to talk. There was another sharper hiss before Delphi spluttered, "Are you still not over this? Look you, how was I supposed to know you didn't want to eat human corpses anymore? I got it fresh just for you too," she muttered as the dragging along the carpet got louder.

The dragging got louder as a great reticulated python pushing six metres slithered around the corner. She had grown dramatically since being severed from the Dark Lord's servitude. The python looked up at the witch, coiling beneath herself so as to rise to Delphi's eye-height not unlike a cobra. The python then rose slightly higher than Delphi's height, which Delphi identified as simple pettiness for her earlier jab about eating corpses. "Okay. I won't bring you anymore people to eat whole, happy?" Delphi asked with a grin.

She reached up slightly and stroked the snake gently above its eyes. Its body suddenly shifted; darkness bloomed from her scales like ink spilling over her body and seemed to encapsulate the whole of the reticulated python's body until she looked like a three-dimensional silhouette. And then the silhouette rapidly shrank and changed form to that of a tall woman. The new woman stood at an inch or so short of six foot even. The shadowy silhouette appearance sunk into the woman's skin to reveal a very pretty Asian woman in her early thirties or late twenties.

"Nagini, how are you feeling today?" Delphi asked as Nagini drew in a deep breath, adjusting to the difference in form.

Nagini made to respond in English but her voice was raspy and unused. She resorted to snake-speak, which was still raspy, but easier on her vocal cords since hissing was mostly just controlling the air passing her lips. "I dreamt his memories last night again. Are you **sure **you purged his essence from me? Sundered his soul fragment from my own whole one?" The deep sapphire dress and cloak she wore fluttered about her on a nonexistent breeze.

Delphi nodded and gently patted the Maledictus' cheek. "I am sure. I'm only sorry I couldn't save you from Voldemort before he…" Delphi trailed off darkly.

"Tainted me. Violated my body and soul in ways that would make even you balk. Corrupted my will so far that I became a cannibal? Is that what you were alluding to, dark child?" Nagini finished for the _much _younger woman in front of her. There was a hint of smirk Nagini at her former **Master**'s daughter's obviously uncomfortable demeanour.

Delphi swallowed before replying quietly and fiercely, "Yes. That. I'm sorry for not arriving earlier on this timeline to save you, and even when I had learned of your plight, that my father's legendary servant was actually a sapient **woman **and not just a clever soul anchor, I waited still until I knew father would leave you unattended so I could perform the blood sacrifices to free you; soul _and _body," Delphi said with an almost uncharacteristic somberness.

Delphini's mind wandered to the horrors she committed to fuel the blood magic that first separated the Horcrux from its living host, Nagini, and transferred it into a briefly liberated muggle mass shooter Delphi could incinerate without a care. Twelve other men's lifeforce was required for that one. Delphi had fun making her selections from several different muggle maximum-security prisons. Finding the ritual that could move a soul from one being to another required delving into some deeply disturbing texts that Delphi was sure her father would have had a much more enjoyable time researching than she did.

The second ritual was one that ended up requiring a permanent and deeply personal tether between Nagini and Delphi. It wasn't a blood adoption, or marriage vow, but it tied Nagini to Delphini intimately. It was necessary to break the Maledictus curse that trapped the woman in her snake form.

Before meeting Nagini, Delphi initially decided not to go ahead with the ritual. But thanks to the art of Legillimancy and a moment of curiosity, she delved into Nagini's unprotected mind once the Horcrux was gone, a few days before the ministry battle.

Nagini's mindscape took the form of Nurmengard Prison. Once Delphini was through searching for the Nagini's consciousness she found there was in fact a woman, a human woman, trapped in the darkest corner of her own mind, hiding from the soul fragment Voldemort forced into her. The look in her eyes when she saw Delphi there in her mindscape, showing her beyond any shadow of doubt that Nagini's true self was **unsullied **by Voldemort… Delphini knew that saving Nagini from her hereditary curse was something she had to do. Nagini reminded her too much of herself when she was young and helpless. If for no other reason than to aid one of her father's most brutalized victims, she needed to help this woman.

Nagini tentatively reached up a hand from the table to clasp Delphi's and responded, "You didn't know about my true nature until the end of your tutelage with that abomination of a wizard. Grindelwald may have been a powerful teacher, but the idea of you spending so long in his presence makes me uneasy on your behalf."

"I'm touched, but even had he tried anything…untoward with me, I'm strong enough to obliterate him," Delphi said with a confident smirk. "It was the first thing I made sure he knew about me. And other than his knowledge, there was nothing that wretch of a wizard had that enticed me," Nagini gave a small smile back. Delphi was elated at the slight though noticeable change to Nagini's usual stoic expression.

"Is transforming back and forth still ah, painful? I know it's a different sort of magic you used to call on decades ago in order to shift between forms. Our **bond** has made me even stronger than I was before and changed some of my affinities. I was wondering if you were already experiencing the benefits of the ritual?"

Nagini nodded as she gingerly sat down. "It hurts, but not nearly as much as the first few times."

Delphi nodded, "I wasn't expecting much better. I suppose our bond isn't as deep a wellspring for you just yet. That will improve soon enough. You'll be able to cast spells even without a wand in time, at least I hope you will." As if to demonstrate, she waved her hand and her spoon levitated and began feeding her from her bowl independent of any hands.

Chuckling, Nagini looked skeptical about that but she didn't contradict Delphini. Delphi wondered about something and decided to bring it up as Nagini had a unique insight she couldn't easily discount. "I'm going to meet Albus Dumbledore tonight," Nagini's eyebrows flew up at that. She literally dropped her spoon in shock, thankfully it was empty at that moment.

"Dumbledore? My L–**Voldemort** has mentioned the man grew a beard, a long one. The Dumbledore I knew would've slapped his elder self if that is true." Delphi frowned slightly at the nauseated expression that flitted across Nagini's face as 'My Lord' nearly passed her lips. But she couldn't deny she thought the idea of young Dumbledore abhorring a long beard fiercely hilarious. And it was even funnier that something so innocuous was the first thing Nagini thought of when the powerful wizard was mentioned.

Nothing was said for a couple minutes while they both just ate, and Nagini thought back to the close-trimmed beard she remembered on Professor Dumbledore as Grindelwald's War was starting.

"It reaches his navel. It's an inspiration to old wizards everywhere." Delphini said with a grin. "I need to give him an explanation for some things if I don't want him as an enemy. While I could kill him if it indeed came to violence, it would be tedious. I killed Lord Voldemort. I did it right before his eyes, and I don't want him prying into my business. Besides," Delphi paused to take a bite of toast and wash it down with the rest of her soup. "There is something further I want, and only Dumbledore can give it to me. Also, there's the matter of fulfilling my oath to Grindelwald."

Nagini looked up sharply, "_What?_" she hissed.

Delphi sighed. "He said he wanted to see his old lover, Dumbledore, one final time. And I was to make that meeting happen." Delphi dipped one of the toasts into her soup then ate it after coiling a long noodle on top of it like an avant-garde open-faced sandwich. "Grindelwald is mortally ill. He'll be dead in a year, maybe two if he's very lucky. Prison was not kind to him, though I think it could have been a bit crueler for the part he played in WWII." Delphi muttered as she remembered doing the research into the man's connection to the Third Reich. Grindelwald wasn't as involved with the Nazi Regime as she initially believed, but it was enough that it made the man irredeemable in Delphini's eyes. She truly did just use him for his knowledge and combat tactics he could teach her.

"Does Dumbledore possess the Elder wand?" Nagini asked. Delphi raised her eye at that. "It was common knowledge that Grindelwald had it. If Dumbledore truly defeated him, it would belong to him now, no? Perhaps the old prisoner wants to nick it off Dumbledore during his visit?"

Delphini shrugged. "Grindelwald's intentions won't matter. Dumbledore's not _that _much of a fool as to bring such a weapon within spitting distance of his ex-boyfriend like that. So, do you want to join me? I confess I'd like it if you were there," Delphi smiled at her breakfast companion. Nagini looked a little confused, but Delphi didn't clarify her feelings further.

"You'll protect me?" Nagini asked carefully.

"With my life," Delphini responded without hesitation.

"Alright then," Nagini pushed the empty bowl in front of her towards Delphi and got up slowly from her chair. "I'm going to take a nap, wake me when you want to leave,"

"One thing, did you want a wand before we go to Hogwarts?" Delphi asked.

"I've never been able to cast magic before, Underbeing, remember?" Nagini said with a sneer. Her malice was directed at Delphi, but society in general.

Delphi rose from her chair and stepped over to the shorter woman. "Things are different now, for starters, I'm a half-blood, and I'm the most powerful person in the world in terms of martial strength. _You _are now tied to me, and me to you. If you'd allow it, I'd very much like to gift you a wand. There's no pressure to try it, but I never want you to _have _to rely on me when you're out and about." Delphi said as she gently cupped Nagini's chin, making the Maledictus look up to meet Delphi's eyes. They stayed like that for perhaps longer than either were entirely comfortable, though neither made a move to stray from the other's touch.

"You can carry a knife or something too if you want," Delphi finally smirked. Nagini chuckled and the tension of the moment was gone.

"Very well, _Delphini_, I'll indulge your curiosity. We'll go to Garrick's first." Nagini breathed out.

"I keep forgetting you know all these people from before my dad was born. I wonder if anybody's called Ollivander 'Garrick' other than his family in all that time?" Delphi grinned at Nagini's slight grimace. "I'm not calling you _old_, you're still well fit. But it's always peculiar to be reminded of it every once in a while." Nagini rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to take a nap for real now. Wake me when you want to depart. Maybe we can stop by after the meeting for some supper? Or will you be dining with your Aunt and Daughter tonight?" Nagini asked. She noticed Delphi's slight bloom of freckles all turn an unnatural pink, courtesy of her metamorphagus traits. But before Nagini could comment on that, Delphi rallied.

"That sounds lovely. I'll put Zelda down to bed before we leave, or rope Auntie Narcissa into doing it. She's grown rather fond of the little hellion," Delphi said affectionately as she thought of the mischief her daughter had been causing for Narcissa over the last couple months.

Nagini smiled, and then without a further word, walked back to her room, where Delphi could hear as well as _feel _the woman shift back into her python form to sleep in. Nagini was still more used to being a snake than a human, and Delphini didn't begrudge her that comfort at all.

All in all, things had settled pretty quickly in Delphi's household in the short months after the Ministry Battle. Without access to Malfoy Manor, other than the personal items (and wardrobe) Kreacher was able to recover, Narcissa was now living with Delphi and Zelda. Delphi had brought her into the fold, told her about Zelda's previous identity of Bellatrix. Even though Delphi believed Narcissa genuinely wouldn't divulge the secret, an Unbreakable Vow was made to ensure her silence all the same. Similar oaths were extracted from the Tonks family. Though only Narcissa was the only other adult who knew about Nagini's residence with them.

Andromeda was surprisingly emotional at the opportunity to get to know the small girl her big sister _could have _been had she grown up without evil parents who sold her to the highest bidder when she was a teenager. Andromeda couldn't help but be glad that this time around, Bellatrix/Zelda wasn't saddled with looking after two unruly sisters to boot. Delphi remembered one of her earlier conversations with Narcissa with a chuckle to herself.

_ "What do you mean, mind-healer?" Narcissa had asked one morning in late July._

_ "I've been going to a few sessions with one. I don't understand the fuss," Delphi replied with a raised eyebrow as she typed away on her laptop. It took Narcissa weeks to accept the various muggle devices Delphi had integrated into her life as a witch and a mother. She drew the line at giving Zelda a tablet though. The kid could learn to read a book instead._

_ "It's not dignified," Narcissa almost whispered as if discussing the topic whatsoever was taboo._

_ Delphi considered her auntie for a moment before saying, "I didn't realise that there really are generational differences. In my time, mental health is a part of the social discourse and not some dirty secret whispered about at awkward family gatherings." Delphi narrowed her eyes before amending, "Well that sort of shit happens too I suppose, but acceptance of such things has come a long way in a relatively short amount of time."_

_ Narcissa huffed and returned her attention to her edition of the Daily Prophet. She knew she couldn't win arguments when Delphi cheated and brought up time travel. For all she knew, Delphi could be lying to her face, but without any way to prove it, she'd have to take her niece's word for it._

_ "I think I'm going to switch my therapist though," Delphi mused._

_ "Oh? Is Miss Delacour not up to snuff?" Narcissa drawled._

_ Delphi shot her an annoyed glance before saying, "I think it's bad form to know what your therapist is like in bed. Or, at least it's one of those unwritten rules of social propriety or some shite. She's divine in bed by the way." Delphi grinned in a manner that could only be described as lecherous. _

_ Narcissa almost spilled her coffee down her front. "What?"_

_ "Oh, yeah. Fleur helped me make a little headway into identifying my anger triggers. I've got a multitude of other problems, some of which I'm loath to discuss at all, but I wouldn't risk tainting her career by sleeping with the girl while she's my mind-healer. I'm not necessarily looking for a relationship with the girl, but in the meantime, I'm quite content to spend as much time between her legs as I can. I do take some things into consideration. Her career is worth more than life-changing orgasms." Despite Delphi's explanation, Narcissa still wore the same scandalized expression. "Oh, it's the girl thing. You're upset I'm seeing another woman. Or are you scandalized because it's casual and not courting?" Delphi emphasized 'courting' to rub in Narcissa's face the dissonance of such an aristocratic expression describing a same-sex relationship._

_ "I…well, yes. You're head of our House. Some rules of propriety bloody well should be followed," Narcissa replied._

_ "Like?" Delphi asked with a smirk._

_ Narcissa glared at her niece. "You know exactly what I mean. Stepping out with a woman, for starters."_

_ Delphi just looked at her aunt with a pitying gaze. "I take it you've never dabbled with the fairer sex?"_

_ "No! What do you take me fore?" Narcissa somehow managed to look even more scandalized as evidenced by her flaming cheeks._

_ "Perhaps you should. Your relationship with Lucius was obviously loveless. You haven't complained once about the dissolution of your marriage to him," Delphi pointed out. "Maybe you're just repressing what you really need? Explore a little! What have you got to lose at this point? I'm sure a word to Fleur and she'd be willing to ah, show you the ropes so to speak. And despite being my aunt, I will admit you are an objectively attractive woman, for any age. Seriously, when I'm in my late thirties, I want to still look twenty-five too."_

_ "My dignity," Narcissa huffed haughtily, completely ignoring all of Delphi's praise._

_ "Well, if you're worried about me making heirs or whatever, I already have one in Zelda, so that issue's been nipped in the bud. Besides, I'm a metamorphagus, which leads to extra possibilities if you understand what I mean," Delphi smirked at how progressing uncomfortable her aunt was getting with this conversation. Narcissa managed to look even more horrified at Delphi's innuendo. Delphi rolled her eyes._

Delphi's wards pinged. "I'll stop torturing you now Auntie. There' s an owl for me. I'm going to step out for a bit. Zelda! We're going out again!"

Delphi felt her isolated P.O. box (by wizard standards) fill with mail, which pinged her wards in her flat to let her know. The toddler came sprinting out of her room with Kreacher on her tail. "Young Miss! You can't be out and about with your hair in that state!"

Zelda's hair was indeed a mess. Delphi chuckled as the girl made a beeline to her and hid behind her legs from the house-elf. Narcissa looked down at the toddler who used to be her eldest sister and _still_ wasn't exactly sure what to feel. On one hand, there was a part of her that _hated _Delphi for essentially _destroying _all that Bellatrix ever was. The bad with the good, purged alike. Zelda would never remember the early Christmases with Andy and Cissi or teaching Narcissa how to fly a broom. Andromeda explaining to an exasperated Bellatrix how to play Wizard's Chess. All of that was gone. But so was the near decade and a half hell that was Azkaban prison. So was her horrific marriage contract, sold like a slave to the Lestrange Family when she was a teenager. While Bella had somehow made that shitshow of a situation work for a time, it just led her into a dark path she never strayed from.

Narcissa wasn't a saint by any means. There were graves full as evidence of her intervention in the Ministry's 'politics', but she never _enjoyed _it; even if her victims deserved to suffocate at the dinner table in front of their children and spouses.

But the giggling little girl in front of Narcissa as _pure _in a way that she knew her _sister _never had been allowed to be. Bellatrix may have hid her bruises well, but Narcissa remembered as a child when Bella would limp back into their room in the night from 'I was just…getting midnight snack and I tripped on the stairs, go back to sleep Cissi!'. Bellatrix always was careful about hiding the evidence of their father's belt, or mother's switch when she got 'uppity'.

Narcissa shuddered as Zelda lost the chase with Kreacher. The elf snapped his fingers, arranging the young girl's red-streaked ravenette hair in an off-center yet elegant ponytail.

"Come now Zelda, you look adorable like that, why did you give Kreacher such trouble?" Delphi asked with a grin, so she knew Zelda wasn't _really _being chastised.

"I wanna to do it myself," Zelda muttered stubbornly. Narcissa couldn't help but mirror her niece's amused smile at the girl's cute response.

"Do you know how?" Narcissa asked with a raised eyebrow.

"…no?" Zelda muttered back.

"I'll teach you later, little one." The endearment made Zelda's head tilt up in confusion.

"Little one? I'm not little!" Zelda pouted. It just made Narcissa chuckle and Delphi laughed before sweeping her new daughter off her feet.

"Until I can't pick you up like this anymore, you're the little one, got it?" Delphi teased before kissing Zelda's forehead.

The toddler giggled at the kiss and burrowed her head into Delphi's collarbone. "Okay. How do you feel about going out today? I need to talk to an old man and a bunch of teenagers. Do you want to stay here and have supper with Auntie Cissi and Kreacher or come along to a boring hours long conversation among adults?" Delphi wasn't exactly subtle with what she wanted her daughter to choose. But she wasn't _unwilling _to bring Zelda along.

Zelda made a show of thinking about it _real hard_. "Auntie Cissi," she decided.

Delphi planted a kiss on her daughter's forehead, which Zelda tried and failed to squirm away from, and plopped her back on the ground. "Well, that's fine. I've left some extra soup in the refrigerator, so you can just have auntie heat it up," Narcissa pointedly looked at Kreacher who nodded reassuringly. He wasn't going to let his mistresses cook if he could help it.

"I'm going to go now, I'll probably be back after you're asleep," Delphi explained to her daughter, who nodded.

"Can we watch movie?" Zelda asked shyly.

"Of course. Just don't stay up too late, Belle, alright?" Delphi replied with a grin. Her daughter nodded.

Delphi looked over Zelda's head at Narcissa pointedly. Her aunt nodded reassuringly; they'd be fine without her for the evening. "Alright, I'm off," Delphi said as she marched out the door dramatically. Zelda giggled, and Delphi internally congratulated herself before shutting the door and priming the wards.

It had been a solid ten hours or so since she'd had breakfast with Nagini. And when she entered Nagini's flat, the woman was actually awake on her own and sipping tea while reading _The Lord of the Rings_. "I'm not interrupting am I?" Delphi said gently as she knocked on the already open door. Nagini already had her long evening dress that fluttered about her ankles. Though under that she wore dark slacks rather than stockings. She wasn't too keen on her legs feeling uncovered, even while wearing a dress, and she wasn't too fond of the frailty of stockings. It was a little gothic for Delphi's taste, but it had blue accents that she could certainly appreciate.

Nagini grinned and shook her head. She placed her makeshift bookmark, a scrap of newspaper, and shut the book. She downed the rest of her tea and put the cup next to the sink. "You know I can just wash that for you right?" Delphi ventured as she saw Nagini produce the dish soap and begin to wash out her cup manually.

"When you go decades without being able to use your hands, it's something you can't really get enough of. Even if the task is mundane as this." Nagini said as she finished the cup and laid it in the dish drainer. "I'm ready." She ignored the _smirk _that Delphi was giving her until Delphi decided Nagini wouldn't admit to having accidentally insinuating something saucy there.

"Let's go!" Delphi smiled as she threw on the coat she'd been carrying under her arm. It wasn't the same one she wore at the ministry. It was bluer, to match Nagini's dress. Delphini held out her arm in an almost exaggerated gentlemanly fashion, which got Nagini to grin a little. She took Delphi's arm firmly to her side as they disparate in a blur.


	11. Delphi's Story

CHAPTER: Mango Lassi and Delphi's Story

**_Author Note: CONTENT WARNING: SEXUAL ASSAULT_**

**_There is discussion of past _****sexual assault_ in this chapter. In a separate instance, there is a recounting of an _attempted rape_ of a _minor_ in this chapter by her stepfather. It's a long section, it's drawn out, and it is very uncomfortable. It not easy to write. But I think it's important for the character to talk about it for a few different reasons. It will likely be triggering. While the rape doesn't actually happen, it's a near thing._**

**_Please don't read this if you will be hurt by this kind of content. I don't want to hurt any of you. I really don't. So take care of yourselves, ok?_**

It took about thirty seconds for the motley crew to realise that perhaps Dumbledore's office wasn't the best location for a meeting. After all, it was so very cramped. So it was with bemusement that Neville, Ginny, and Harry strode out in front of the group, leading them to the Room of Requirement. "Let me do the thinking here love," Delphi smirked as she caught up with the trio.

As they reached the proper section of the seventh-floor corridor, Delphi paced thrice before the hidden entrance to the Room. '_I need a place to divulge secrets to a large gathering of people. I need a place where we won't be overheard, spied on or interrupted whatsoever.. I need a place that will offer at least a section of it able to fully reset without having to vacate the room._

The Room of Requirement revealed itself to Delphi's pleased smirk. "How did you know how it worked?" Harry asked with a tone laced with suspicion.

Delphi just shrugged, snapped her fingers, and the double doors that revealed themselves opened. Shadowing her the whole time was a woman who conspicuously had a hood shrouding her identity. Once they were all in the room, several sofas appeared. Delphi looked at the plush velvet coverings of the sofas and tilted her head. Immediately, one of them became a large leather armchair with a lever at the side for triggering a reclining function.

The sofas all faced each other. Dumbledore created an armchair that was a near replica of the one in his own office. The other students seemed content with the sofas.

"I believe an introduction would start this talk off properly, don't you?" Dumbledore started once everyone was settled.

"I think an oath protecting everything about this meeting should be made. Specifically," Delphi paused, "An oath preventing any of you to speak of this to other parties, family and friends or no. And for you most of all," Delphi pointed leisurely at Dumbledore, "from potentially going to the Aurors. Otherwise, you'll be denied the secrets you crave so much, and _he,_ she pointed to Harry, "Will remain in the dark about a great many important things. Not to mention everyone else here deserving to understand why the whole ministry fight went down in the first place."

"I think that is understandable," Dumbledore said. "I take it to mean the identity of you _friend _is one of these secrets?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye. Delphi rolled her eyes, but nodded all the same.

"So. I'll be the binder for these unbreakable vows. I'll make it a simple one. 'I won't discuss or communicate whatsoever anything that was said, seen, or experienced in this meeting unless Delphi gives me explicit permission.' That's not so bad is it? Did I leave any loopholes Professor?" Delphi chirped as she ran over her mock oath in her head.

"I believe you have this meeting locked down pretty well. I assume you want Draco and myself to take this oath in addition to the previous one," Dumbledore cut off suddenly as he grew quite pale and clutched his left arm.

"Careful there Headmaster. Even speaking _about _there being a previous oath is _perilously close _to breaking our understanding from the ministry. But after every one of our present company has taken the oath, I'll allow both yourself and Draco to talk about what I had you two swear to keep secret in the department of mysteries. Sound fair?" Delphi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied softly, as the invisible chains of the Unbreakable vow allowed him to function unimpeded once more.

"Are you not taking a similar oath in return?" Hermione quietly spoke up from where she was sitting. Hermione had been discharged from St. Mungo's with a mandatory potion regiment that would be over just before the new school year started. Delphi wasn't entirely sure about the nature of the potions, but she could guess that they dealt with healing her lungs, ribs, skin, muscles, and other miscellaneous organs that were harmed by Dolohov's purple flame cutting curse. Apparently if Hermione hadn't silenced Dolohov, his curse would have bisected her and continued on to gouge the stone wall behind where she had been standing at the time.

Delphi shot Dumbledore a look, and he dutifully raised his wand and laid it on Delphi's sleeved left arm. "I, Delphini Peverell do swear not to speak about personal information revealed in this room today to any person or entity not in this room with us without the permission of the person who spoke such secretes in my company." A tongue or indigo flame wound its way around Delphi's arm and then disappeared. "Satisfied, Granger?" Delphi said with a sneer.

Hermione for her part didn't appreciate Delphi's attitude, but couldn't deny that at the insulting woman didn't _just _talk the talk. She walked the walk too.

In short order, Dumbledore ensured that Delphi had her Unbreakable Vow from all assembled with the exception of the hooded woman who arrived with Delphi. "She and I have a prior understanding. I require no such vow from her." Dumbledore shrugged.

"And you won't betray the secrets of others here?" the old man asked the woman, who's face he couldn't see due to the no doubt _charmed _hood she wore.

"…" the woman deigned to clearly shake her head _no_.

Dumbledore looked around and nobody seemed eager to force the woman to take a vow like the one they were just made to take. "Very well. I, Albus Dumbledore so swear I will not speak or communicate anything of this meeting whatsoever to any person or entity not in the room right now."

Delphi grinned. "So then, let's start!" The students were a _little _wary at the scary woman being so happy.

"Introductions are in order as we have a new face in the mix, now we've all said the relevant vows," Dumbledore said. "I'm Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Draco Malfoy."

"Harry Potter."

"Hermione Granger," the brunette said quietly as to not tax her lungs.

"Lady Pansy Parkinson."

"Luna Lovegood," the newly single-armed, blonde-haired, grey-eyed girl said with considerably less brightness than the last time she introduced herself a couple months ago in Umbridge's office.

"Ginny Weasley."

"Neville Longbottom."

"Alright then. How do you want to do this?" Delphi spoke up, asking the assorted crowd.

"You're very pretty, what's your name?" Luna spoke up in an oddly serene tone directed at the woman with the hood that refrained from introducing herself.

The woman looked at Delphi, who dryly chuckled then shrugged. As she removed her hood, she introduced herself with a soft American accent, "Over the last half-century or so I've been called Nagini."

…

"WUT?"

"Like the snake?" Ginny asked tentatively.

"Yes. Though my service to the Dark Lord was…not of my choosing," Nagini said with a flicker of distaste. "In my weakened snake form due to my Maledictus blood curse, my mind was uniquely vulnerable; incapable of defending myself from him. He found me a few years ago, and since then, I was his slave. More so than even his Marked servants."

"He was in your head?" Ginny asked with a sudden gleam in her eyes.

Nagini looked to Delphi, who nodded almost imperceptibly, so Nagini continued as she met Ginny's eye, "Yes. I, Nagini, was relegated to a corner of my own violated mind. I could see and feel everything my body did," Nagini shuddered visibly. "The things he _made me do…_" Delphi put a strong hand on Nagini's shoulder, emotionally bracing the older woman. Nagini tapped Delphi's hand in a silent 'thank you'. "Delphini saved me. Even though it would have been a far simpler task to simply destroy my body, ridding the world of the horcrux."

"Perhaps if I believed you were only a bloody snake, I would've taken that route," Delphi admitted. "But the moment I learned of your true nature, saving you wasn't an option, it was inevitable," Delphi declared matter-of-factly. Nagini's eyes widened and she smiled up at her savior. Both Luna and Pansy watched their interactions with something akin to hesitant awe. There was something about Delphi and Nagini's interaction that just seemed _right_.

Delphi noticed Dumbledore's hilarious expression and addressed it, "It has come to my attention that you two know each other from during Grindelwald's War," the Dark Lord's daughter pointed out to Dumbledore.

The rest of the room sort of turned to look at Dumbledore, who was looking at Nagini with a delightfully confused expression. "You are correct. I confess I thought your _condition _was permanent. I am heartened to see you are in possession of your full faculties once more."

"Good to see you too again, Professor Dumbledore. Your beard is much longer now," Dumbledore laughed at that under his breath, "I believe that under normal circumstances you'd be correct," Nagini trailed off before she sat down next to Delphini. "However, this circumstance I find myself in is anything but normal, and the situations in general seem to tailor themselves to her whims. Though I believe my changed condition at the present time are tied into the larger purpose of why we are all gathered here. Isn't that right, Delphini?"

Delphi rolled her eyes at Nagini's smirk. Truthfully, she was happy the Maledictus was talking more. "Nagini is correct. So, Professor…I assume you have questions."

Dumbledore seemed to mull over what he wanted to ask first. "I have so many questions. But I would like to get the Prophecy sorted out properly because there are still some aspects of it that don't seem to fit you Ms. Peverell."

Delphi grinned at Dumbledore's use of her _family _name. "Let's go line by line, shall we?" Delphi waved her hand and Delphi's single armchair grew slightly so that it could accommodate Nagini in such a way that she wasn't sitting on Delphi's lap.

"While unorthodox, I believe that is a _technical _pass," Dumbledore mused.

"Technical or not, it bloody well worked," Delphini spoke up with a grin. "Any other questions? I think 'unorthodox' is a word that you may be revisiting during this conversation."

"If your parents were Voldemort and Bellatrix, how did that count as 'defying the dark lord three times?" Pansy asked.

Delphi nodded at the Parkinson. "Finally, an interesting question. And like most things, it's a matter of perspective. I think it's easy to imagine that there were _at least _three times that my mother did something that she was _disciplined _for via _Cruciatus Curse_." Delphi's tone became glacial, and there was more than one person who felt a literal chill sweep the room as she alluded to her mother being tortured by her father. "For my father, that's a little bit more complicated."

"Would you like to explain that?" Dumbledore asked in a surprisingly kind.

"Would you be so kind to explain to this lot what Horcruxes are?" Delphi asked. Pansy flinched, and Dumbledore tilted his head.

"Actually my dear, I think that as the woman who destroyed them, I believe you're the best equipped to explain. You have succeeded where I have so spectacularly failed over these long decades."

"He has a point you know," Nagini said while lightly nudging Delphi, who shot her an annoyed look.

"Very well. A Horcrux is a splinter of a witch or wizard's soul that has been ritually separated from the whole. The ritual itself is well…. vile to the extreme," Delphi flinched.

"The act of taking another's life," Dumbledore started, but Delphini interrupted him as gently as she could manage as she noticed Pansy Parkinson's face drain of colour believing that she had ripped apart her soul avenging Luna's arm.

"Were that _simple_ act of ending another's life the whole of it, _your _soul would also be fragmented. And I think that is not the case, is it Professor?" Delphi pointed out. "No. While _murder _is a _part_ of the ritual, there are other aspects of the ritual that are debatably even more horrific. Simply _killing _does not the soul split, and to say otherwise is propaganda." Delphi fixed Dumbledore with an unimpressed glare. "Parkinson, you and I will have a conversation after this," Delphi said to the slightly panicking young woman. Luna gently held Pansy's arm with her remaining hand, and thankfully it seemed that this small gesture was sufficient to noticeably calm the younger girl down.

"You researched the exact method?" Hermione asked timidly.

"Yes. I'm sure you're familiar with the idiom 'know thy enemy', yes?" Delphi asked. "If I believed I could avoid looking into the specific ritual, I would have. It's a bloody awful piece of magic that should have been hidden away forever. But there were extenuating circumstances."

"Extenuating circumstances?" Harry asked.

"You and I, Mr. Potter," Nagini said with a knowing smirk. "The both of us are former vessels for the Dark Lord's soul. Horcruxes."

"What?" Harry asked dumbly.

"Did you not realise you took an _Avada Kedavra_?" Delphi drawled. "The only reason you're here is because Dad's soul fragment took the hit instead of yours. And as for Nagini, I did _another _horrific ritual to _move _Dad's soul splinter from her into a more _suitable _candidate."

"He made more than one?" Dumbledore asked for confirmation. Delphi shot him a look as if to say, 'Just now catching on are you?', but Dumbledore got the message. "How many?"

"Potter, Nagini, my family's ancestral locket, and ring, Helga's drinking chalice, a diary he enchanted as a teenager, and Ravenclaw's diadem," Delphi listed; shamelessly counting off on her fingers like a primary school child.

Dumbledore looked more intrigued with each relic Delphi spoke of. Pansy on the other hand, like most of the children looked horrified, "Why would anybody do that to themselves," she whispered, likely not intending for any of the others to reply to her.

"Immortality," Nagini hissed with a disgusted sneer.

"Yeah. Because he was a straight up coward," Delphi added. "It's in the name, guys. Voldemort is French and translates as something like flight from death. He's not the most subtle of people," Delphi said with a dark chuckle.

"Can we get back to the prophecy?" Neville asked quietly, drawing the eyes of most in the room.

Delphi shrugged. "Sure, there will be time for patricide discussion later," Pansy flinched.

"So in creating Horcruxes, he basically defied himself?" Ginny asked with more than a little skepticism. "That sounds like a bit of a stretch."

"It's not to me," Delphi replied casually. "I don't know of any more obvious way to thwart oneself than to create a horcrux. And the prophecy never said it had to be three times exactly. Just that it must have been _at least _three times; thus, fulfilling that part of the prophecy."

"Young Harry here however was clearly 'Marked' by Voldemort," Dumbledore said. "Am I to assume you are marked as his equal in a similar manner?"

Delphi's grin turned flat and cold. Not malicious, mind; but just darker. "Oh, he definitely did."

There was silence for a few moments before Draco spoke up, "That was a bit vague wasn't it? Are you going to show us?"

Delphi shot him a glare before responding with, "I'm not stripping for you all. And as my cousin, it makes me a bit uncomfortable you'd ask me to do that. I mean, I know we're both from old pureblood families, but I'm not about that kind of life if you get my meaning," Delphi explained slowly, as if talking to a toddler.

Draco blushed furiously and immediately felt a nauseous squirm in his gut. "Fuck off," he muttered.

"You can describe it to us?" Hermione hedged.

Delphi thought for a moment before saying, "Technically, _both _my parents Marked me. When I was an infant, on the Winter Solstice a few months after I was born, they performed a dark ritual that ensured I'd be a _powerful_ heiress. The several components of the ritual demanded certain sacrifices from me that as an infant I was not in any way capable of consenting to. And while those sacrifices will plague me for the rest of my life in some ways, in others, they _do _make me unique, make me stronger. His 'equal' at the very least. Even if some of the lingering effects are _very _different than what my parents thought they'd be," Delphi said while unconsciously flexing her left hand.

"The ritual itself bears _similarities _to the Horcrux ritual in terms of general horror; but with a fundamentally different purpose. You see, Horcrux ritual benefits only the soul-splitter, not the vessel. This ritual on the other hand…" Delphi trailed off as she lost herself in the memory Rodolphus Lestrange had of that Solstice night. Rodolphus was a monster in human skin and even he was disturbed. "Well, among other things may have technically changed my species classification, in more than one way." Delphi immediately flinched at saying something so careless.

"You're not human anymore?" Neville asked with fear in his eyes.

"Delphi, would you be so kind as to _explain _that?" Dumbledore asked.

Delphi sighed at her casually _massive _slip up. _Fuck._

"She shouldn't have to reveal anything she's not comfortable with," Luna said softly with a distinctly reproachful tone as she was looking at Dumbledore and Neville.

"Thanks Luna, but I'm the one who slipped up and caused all this _speculation,_" Delphi said while pinching the bridge of her nose. "You all know I'm a metamorphagus, right? Like how I was able to change my age and hair etc. from Umbridge's office to the Ministry fight when I took off my mask?"

"I think we were paying attention to other things at the time actually," Neville said a little sheepishly.

"Fair enough," Delphi replied with a shrug.

"That ability wasn't one of the things I got from the ritual, but it _certainly _tampered with _one_ of the _gifts_ my parents gave me," Delphi spat. "You see, at some point during the ritual, there were multiple _substances _introduced into my body via oral consumption and through the blood. One of those substances was the mix of as many individual samples of werewolf venom Voldemort could get his hands on. Because of the clout Fenrir Greyback wields, Dad had a _lot _of wolves to harvest from."

There was a moment of silence following this perceived revelation, but Delphi just took it to look at Nagini, who rolled her eyes. Dumbledore looked baffled, which was a look Delphi could stand to see more on the old man's face.

"You're a werewolf?" Hermione gasped.

Delphi shrugged, "Yes and no. Like I said, there were _multiple _substances introduced in the ritual. While I would almost certainly test positive for Lycanthropy were I to visit St. Mungo's creature damage ward, it's not that simple. Other than when I was a child and had very little control over myself in the best of circumstances; I've never had a transformation where I wasn't in my right mind. Wolfsbane potion is unnecessary for me. I'm still not exactly sure how that was made possible, but I have some guesses. But more than that, thanks to my Metamorphagus abilities…" Delphi trailed off with a meaningful look at Dumbledore.

He picked up the slack with an awed expression, "You can _choose _when to transform?"

"Yes. I also have access to the more physical aspects of being a werewolf in my human form. I'm far stronger, faster and more agile than any human under most circumstances, if I focus," Delphi said slowly. "I can also _choose _whether or not to secrete venom when I bite someone." Delphi looked around at their awed faces. There was a healthy amount of fear too, especially on Draco's face and surprisingly, Hermione's as well.

"Granted, there are _certainly_ some drawbacks to the ritual as well." Delphi shrugged. She was glad she sort of distracted them with the weird werewolf shifting abilities. "Shall we move on with the prophecy?"

"Powers the Dark Lord knows not?" Harry asked.

"That could be a number of things honestly, and that phrase gets even _more _convoluted when you take into consideration a couple of my bigger secrets," Delphi paused deliberately for dramatic effect. "The pertinent one though is that I'm a time traveler from an alternate universe or timeline to this one. So, what dad _knew _about me on _this _timeline was _nothing_. Do you see why prophecies are bogus to try and decipher prior to completion now?"

There was the predictable uproar following Delphi's revelation, but she just sat back and laughed. Nagini butted her head against Delphi's shoulder in a very endearingly reproachful snake-like fashion. Nagini sometimes crossed mannerisms between forms.

"What the fuck?" Pansy asked, which perfectly summed up the feelings of the others as well.

"Quiet, please," Dumbledore raised his voice to cut through the veritable barrage of questions Delphi just was subjected to. Not that she seemed concerned, if anything the yammering teenagers seemed to amuse her more than anything. "If you would explain your final part in the prophecy please?" Admirably the teenagers stalled their myriad of questions for the moment.

"'Either must die at the hands of the other for neither can live while the other survives?' Right?" Delphi recited casually. "Alright, so that's probably the vaguest fucking thing I've ever heard." Nagini nudged her again, ostensibly to watch her language. "Fine. Alright, so I obviously killed him with my own hands, and a BC-41model trench knife." Delphi muttered. "Nearest I can figure is that we destroy each other."

"But you're still here," Pansy pointed out the obvious.

"Try not to sound _too _disappointed _Lady _Parkinson," Delphi smirked as she emphasized Pansy's new title. "In killing my father, I erased all possibility of myself being born in this timeline, which to me, fulfills all parts of the prophecy, even if you have to reach for it a little bit. Satisfied old man?"

Dumbledore ran over the impetuous girl's explanations. They were sufficient, and besides, he'd seen the results with his own eyes; no shade escaped Voldemort's corpse, meaning that he was well and truly dead. "On the matter of the prophecy, yes. However your being a time traveler raises a number of shall we say, issues."

Delphi smirked, "Don't worry about it. I already sorted everything with Croaker. I wasn't dumb enough to _not _notify the Unspeakables, or at least the time travel specialist of the lot. They are _not _the people you want tracking you down for abuse of time magic."

Dumbledore's eyebrows jumped up to his hairline. "Oh? Well, that actually solves a lot of the issues I had in mind. But you are in clear violation of Croaker's Law. The five hour limit has been vastly exceeded I would think."

Most of the teenagers were looking lost, but Luna and Hermione were both rapt with attention. Hermione, who had time traveled herself for basically 10 months straight was very keen on learning more about that specific branch of magic, and filed away 'Croaker' as somebody to research later.

"Not exactly. You see, Croaker's five-hour rule applies just fine so long as you're on the same timeline. He was operating on the assumption that all of time and space adhered to _one _timeline, one reality. He was wrong. As far as I know, there are potentially infinite worlds out of our reach, out of sync. _I _am from a _different timeline_, because if I wasn't, I would have caused one clusterfuck of a bootstrap paradox by murdering my own father prior to my conception on _this _timeline. The result of which would be the immediate cessation of my existence. Are you with me so far?" Delphi asked.

"Yes. I have so many questions," Hermione was looking at Delphi with a hungry expression that didn't make the older of the two feel particularly comfortable.

"Ask." Delphi said as she laid back as if the incoming barrage of questions was a physical one.

"You said you had _a couple _big secrets. Time travel was one of them. Will you tell us the other?" Luna asked with her head tilted ever so slightly like a raven inspecting something shiny.

It kinda scared Delphini, this one-armed girl just saw through her in a way that made her feel naked. "I'll be holding onto that one for now little moon child," Delphi winked, trying desperately to avoid talking about what _really _made her different from everyone else.

Luna exhaled and said, "That's alright Delphi. Would you mind telling us something elst about the time-travel then? What's your Zodiac animal?"

Delphi chuckled at the whimsical path Luna travelled to seek out the pertinent information, "Ox. I was born on September 30th, 1997," Delphi said. There were the predictable gasps and wide eyes. Delphi rolled _her _eyes, this was going to be a long conversation. Before anybody could ask a follow up question to that, Neville couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Your mother is Bellatrix Lestrange?" Neville asked rather aggressively.

"Was. Though I prefer to think of her as Bellatrix Black myself. Firstly, no Lestrange was my father. Secondly, her marriage to the Lestrange family was forced upon her. What she became afterwards was really a reflection of how horrifying her new reality was. My father, Lord Voldemort, was perhaps ironically the only person who showed her the slightest bit of respect in those days. His respect and the position as his second in command earned through her relentless effort earned her _personal autonomy_ in a situation that would normally have kept her confined in her own personal hell. Being _the best Death Eater _gave her the escape she _needed_; the simple freedom to _exist_ as _herself,_ and not as the _thing _pureblood society mandated she become," Delphi replied candidly. She could tell she was shifting the room's perception, if ever slightly, of her mother from this timeline. Draco in particular looked like he was rethinking his own mother's marriage to Lucius and how _that _must have started very similarly to the horrible situation his _cousin _was describing for her own mother.

"It doesn't change what she did," Neville replied with ire.

"Breaking your parents minds like least-loved vases you mean?" Delphi asked.

Harry put an arm on Neville to prevent the functional orphan from doing anything stupid despite Delphi's provocation. "I don't appreciate euphemisms. Just say what you mean, boy." Delphi's choice of words was cold, but her tone wasn't anything less than cordial.

"It was unforgivable. She's a fucking monster," Neville hissed through gritted teeth.

Delphi raised an eyebrow, "To you, perhaps. Such focus on Bellatrix alone. Why is that? Because she's a _woman_ and is therefore supposed to be more sympathetic? There were _three _other _men _in your home that night. Shocking that a _woman_ is capable of such brutality? Sexist much?" Delphi chuckled darkly at Dumbledore, Draco, and Neville's flinch at the word 'sexist'.

Neville's anger didn't dissipate though. Taking a deep breath, Delphi made a point of looking Neville in the eye, and there was nothing mocking or humorous about her demeanour now, "If I were you Neville, I'd probably be _more _upset that your Defense professor last year, and the Lestrange Brothers _had their way_ with your mother. They made your dad watch too." Neville's hands were trembling, and everyone else became deathly still. Delphi had crossed a line and everyone knew it. Dumbledore looked like he wanted to say something but didn't know what. Everybody else looked nauseous or horrified.

But Delphi continued, ignoring the thickening tension in the room, "It's something _we _have in common you know, Neville Longbottom. The Lestrange Brothers raping our mothers. On _this _timeline, I believe those animals are both alive and well. I can assure you, on _my _native timeline, that's not the case." Delphi said with a savage sort of serenity that sent chills down spines.

"I…" Neville didn't know what to say. He was _not _expecting to feel conflicted over his personal anathema.

"I destroyed my mother that night, in the Department of Mysteries. The woman who _did_ participate in the horrific crimes done to your parents no longer exists," Delphi said.

"That's peculiar phrasing," Hermione pointed out.

"Yep," Delphi said as she popped the 'p'.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Delphi, who relented, "I turned her into a toddler after divesting her of my father's slave brand. She's legally my daughter and the heiress Black now. Bellatrix truly no longer exists. There is only Zelda Venator Peverell now."

"How?"

"Let's just say the Department of Mysteries is a wonderful and terrifying place, and leave it at that. I'm sure it doesn't need to be said, but I'm going to anyway. If _anyone _seeks to harm _my daughter _Zelda, I will put them in St. Mungo's right next to Alice and Frankie, got it Delphi put her foot down. Not even Neville wanted to challenge her on that. There was something about the confidence in her words that gave him a sick feeling. He wasn't the only one.

"You've done it, haven't you?" Pansy asked with more than a little horror. "Broke somebody with the Cruciatus."

Nagini squeezed Delphini's hand, she knew it was a sensitive topic for the powerful woman. Delphi's eyes lost a bit of their light when she spoke up to respond. "Rodolphus Lestrange found _some _way to ditch Azkaban around the time of my eleventh birthday. He told me who I was and began training me in the Dark Arts." Delphi sighed. "My upbringing was…" Harry flinched at Delphi's tone. He could imagine _exactly _the kind of upbringing an unwanted orphan would have. "It left a lot to be desired. So when my stepfather showed up and basically opened a whole new world for me, I was _so _keen on it. Like, I was a true believer in my parent's ideals. A proud child soldier. I would've been a great Death Eater at twelve years old. Probably would've been killed by Alastor Moody though," Delphi chuckled.

Nobody said anything as Delphi sort of seemed lost in her own world a little bit. Even Nagini was beginning to look a little worried if her frown was anything to go by.

Maybe it was Nagini's hand that anchored Delphini a little, maybe it was the confessionary atmosphere of the room, but Delphini began to tell her story, "Anyway, long story short, Around the age of thirteen, my stepfather Rodolphus Lestrange tried to rape me." Delphi didn't even register the sharp inhales and looks of _panic _from the kids around her or the _murderous _look in Dumbledore's eyes.

Delphi lifted her right hand picked up her Mango Lassi to drink. Everyone could see how the whole glass trembled involuntarily, but Delphi continued in a disturbingly flat and _soft_ voice that most of them knew would haunt them, "I was stupid. Overconfident, and unprepared. I didn't have my wand on me, and despite getting bad vibes from him before that day, I didn't think he'd actually try _that._ He'd spent so long _training me _after all," Delphi chuckled with absolutely zero mirth and it was really uncomfortable to hear.

Delphi continued like a machine, "He hit me with five spells. Though I don't know how long I was under the torture curse. I think it was several minutes. _Silencio, Crucio, Imperio, Immobulus, Incarcerous,_" Delphi spoke the spells he used on her in order, and everyone understood. "It took me a little longer than normal than normal to beat the Imperious curse. See, he was smart, _Crucio _tampers with the minds' defenses. Occlumency is _hard _when your nervous system is going into shock after all. And after several _minutes _of _Crucio, _I was in a bad way. By the time I broke myself out of his _Imperious _curse, I was nearly naked. I was sobbing, and I had damaged my vocal chords from screams that no one could hear but me. My arms and legs were bound and spread-eagled. I was tied to _my _bed. Rodolphus had used low level cutting and banishing charms to take the majority of my clothes off. He was _slow _about it. Deliberate. He didn't take everything off, he had the _view _and _access_ to me that he wanted," Delphi's flat emotionless voice could _almost _be mistaken for casual.

Nobody in that room was ready to hear this. They wanted callous and snarky Delphi back. Hermione had tears in her eyes and Luna looked uncharacteristically _afraid_. Her eyes were darting between Delphi and Nagini. Nagini had tear streaks down her face, but they were _angry tears. _Nagini was inconsolably enraged that somebody had hurt her saviour like this. Ginny looked like she was going to vomit. The boys didn't look much better.

Dumbledore recognized what Delphi was doing. Or rather, what was _happening _to Delphi in the moment: she was re-living it but instead was narrating it as it happened again in her mind's eye. The vacant, soulless, look in her eyes were the _exact _same that Ariana had when they had begged her to tell them what had happened to her.

Delphi continued to narrate what happened to her, "I think the soft clang noise of him undoing his belt buckle and dropping his trousers and pants to the floor is what sort of dragged me back into reality. _Some _part of me realised what was about to happen, what he would _do to _me. And I _knew _that I couldn't stop him. He climbed up on the bed. His penis touched my leg as he climbed on top of me, he was already dripping, " Delphi's eyes, still vacant had taken on a visible crimson hue that Ginny, Dumbledore, and Harry all recognised as a trait she definitely inherited from Tom Riddle.

"He stroked himself a couple times. He was grinning at me, _looking _at me _down there, _then he was spreading my legs. He looked me in the eye and said, "I hope you're as tight as your mother was." And…I was sobbing so hard I could barely breath, I just wanted out, I wanted him away, I wanted him _hurt_ and something inside me…. Shattered. I remember his face. Rodolphus was looking right at me when it happened, he was _inches_ way from _fucking_ me, and then his face became horrified. Everything went black, and there was this _rushing _sound. I came to probably a few minutes later. The house had somehow suffered catastrophic damage. The bed was in ruins, my bindings and the _Immobulus _charm he put on me was gone. I still on my back, but I was on the opposite side of the room, and Rodolphus had been put straight through one of the walls."

Dumbledore had a terrible feeling that he knew where this was going. But _logically _she couldn't be _one of those_, could she?

"I got to my feet, and then I fell down again. My legs weren't working very well, the _Cruciatus _had damaged them badly enough they couldn't support my weight just yet. But I saw _his wand _just lying there on the floor, but it was across the room, and I heard him in the next room getting back to his feet. I knew I had to get to the wand. Logically I should have just _summoned _it, but my mind wasn't really working at the moment. I was so focused on moving _myself _to the wand. And then I was there. I had crossed the room, without using my legs. Of course it didn't occur to me until afterward that I had actually _floated _across the room.

"I had the wand. And Rodolphus was standing there in the doorway. I remember shivering because I didn't have much clothes on, and neighter did he. He looked so _dumb _standing there; I probably did too, but there was a moment where neither of us moved, and then I pointed the wand at my stepfather, and felt this rush of ecstasy. Because I was in control now. And I wanted him to _hurt_." Delphini's irises were definitely crimson now. And it seemed like she was coming back to herself. Mostly.

"I didn't _just_ use the Cruciatus curse of course. I also used all the Legillimancy I knew. I ripped his mind apart taking all his memories out of his head, and learning about life during the war, his years in Azkaban, his _marriage,_" Delphini growled, "To my mother, and the crimes he committed under Voldemort in the 1970's up until his incarceration in 1981. But once I was done learning everything I could from him about my mother and father, I just didn't stop. The Cruciatus curse is one of the best examples of an intent-driven spell. _You really need to mean it. _And I meant it. I tortured him until his mind was so far beyond shattered, he was gasping out blood because his vocal chords were shredded, and then his heart suddenly stopped, and that was the end of that." Delphi finished up as she finally looked around and made eye-contact with people again. She didn't realise it until now, but there were tear tracks down her eyes, and her heart was racing.

Nagini put a soft hand on Delphini's cheek, probing her eyes for something she apparently found, and then pulled the traumatized younger woman in for a long hug. Delphi couldn't _believe _what just happened. What she'd _confessed_. It terrified her. But she sated her worry with the memory of Rodolphus' screams, and Delphi mentally centered herself again while Nagini's warmth calmed down her racing heart.

There was a _long_ lull of silence while the teenagers and Dumbledore digested Delphini's traumatic story. It was probably at least ten minutes before somebody was brave enough to change the topic.

"Do you know our future selves?" Draco asked tentatively.

Delphi closed her eyes for a moment before opening this next can of worms, "Do you all want a rundown? It very well may affect your own futures if I tell you this stuff. Dumbledore? What do you think about this?" Delphi was legitimately asking the Headmaster. This was one of the reasons most people were weary of time travel.

"I understand your ah, _intervention _regarding your own father has changed a great deal yes," Dumbledore hedged.

"Yes. But some things may hold the same regardless," Delphi replied.

"Are you trying to ferret out of telling us?" Ginny asked rather pointedly.

Delphi smirked back at the ginger teen, "No. I'm simply making sure you are aware that this conversation may have profound impact on your potential futures. Romantic partners, careers, and ultimate fates are all fair game if this conversation continues the way it is. Would a vote make you all feel better about it?"

Dumbledore shrugged. From his perspective, Voldemort was gone. There wasn't much left to do but kick back and probably retire at some point in the not too distant future. "A vote sounds like a decent idea," he said.

"Would a majority carry the motion or do we want a unanimous vote?" Hermione asked.

"Let's see where we stand and decide after the vote?" Delphi said with a shrug.

Nobody else seemed to have anything else to say, so Dumbledore said, "All in favor of learning of our _alternate selves_ from Delphi's timeline?"

The vote was unanimous. Even Nagini raised her hand. Delphi nearly gasped; she was _not _expecting that. She thought Granger at least would have reservations. Though she'd have no way of knowing it, her future in particular would now be _very _different than _Minister Granger's _since her potential husband died in the ministry battle.

"Alright, how do you want to do this?" Delphi asked, appealing to them all.

"Point at them and name their careers first? That's relatively low-stakes," Nagini supplied sensibly.

"That seems alright," Harry said.

Delphi nodded. "First, a point of clarification. On my timeline, the Second British Blood War ended in the battle of Hogwarts on May 2nd, 1998. Voldemort took total control of the Ministry in the summer of 1997. All British Muggleborns were hunted like animals and either killed or summarily thrown in Azkaban. Umbridge was put in charge of a lot of that actually. It was very much Third Reich: Magical Britain Edition. Hogwarts was hell for those who attended that year, which was _mandatory _for all half-bloods and purebloods. The only thing you really need to know about how things were was that Death Eaters ran the school, and detentions were literal torture." Delphi finished almost callously. Hermione looked capable of casting _Avada Kedavra _in that moment, but her look wasn't directed at Delphi, she was just the messenger after all.

"Like I said, the Battle of Hogwarts was the end of the war. The Death Eaters lost, Voldemort was destroyed by Harry Potter on a weird fucking technicality I'm probably not going to go into that much, mainly because I'm still not sure I understand it. Four of his horcruxes were destroyed that night. Hermione destroyed Helga's cup in the Chamber of Secrets. Ravenclaw's Diadem was destroyed by Fiendfyre in this very room. Harry gave himself up after realizing he was in fact a horcrux and was subsequently hit with Voldemort's killing curse. Neville killed Nagini towards the end of the fight with Gryffindor's sword," Delphi added a little more solemnly. Delphi had told Nagini all of this already, but it still wasn't exactly easy to hear about your slavery and ignoble death; even if it was an alternate version of her who was never freed. Delphi very deliberately laced her hand with Nagini's in a surprisingly caring gesture.

"It was a pyrrhic victory. Dozens of people died on both sides. A lot of children died. It's worth noting that Ron Weasley survived the war on that timeline, I'm sorry." Delphi let that sink in.

"So it's your fault?" Ginny said as she looked at Delphini.

"Did you see me strike him down?" Delphi shot back.

"No," Ginny muttered.

Delphi waited to see if the fiery Chaser would say more, but it was not to be. "You lost one of the twins during the final battle on my timeline So, I suppose that was fate claiming her due?"

Ginny looked like she wanted to slap Delphi, but admirably reigned in her anger. _If Neville could do it, I can too_. So, that's the context." Delphi summed up with a shrug. "Could we have refreshments brought via the kitchen, Professor? I find myself rather parched," Delphi bashfully admitted. Her voice _was _getting a little scratchy with the constant conversation.

Without much ado, Dumbledore summoned an elf, and no less than two minutes later, there were a charcuterie plate, French baguette, assorted fruit, and empty goblets all around. Numerous coffee tables appeared from thin air courtesy of the Room of Requirement to accommodate the influx of food and drink. "Simply say what you want into your goblet, and it shall appear; much like at the Yule Ball," Dumbledore said with a jovial smile. The old man's smile turned slightly apprehensive as he caught Delphini looking at her goblet all of a sudden with feral glee.

"Firewhisky," Neville started off. He immediately realised that he just requested a drink he wasn't legally allowed, in front of the country's senior most educator. There were multiple giggles and snickering when they caught sight of his mortified face as Dumbledore looked down at him with a single raised eyebrow. Neville's guilt was compounded when his goblet turned into a tumbler which filled with three fingers of the magical liquor.

"I'll allow this slight indulgence," Dumbledore said once he believed his nonverbal response had gleaned all the hilarity from Neville that was decent. "This is after all a once in a lifetime kind of conversation."

Neville let out an exhale that got another round of laughter. Nagini glanced around and was genuinely happy that the mood of the teenagers seemed to have risen from the dark tangent into the link between Alice and Bellatrix. Neville took a small sip of the Firewhiskey and winced but did better with it than the adults in the room were expecting.

"Butterbeer," Harry, Hermione, and Luna said. Their goblets uniformly transformed into glass mugs filled to the brim with the butterscotch amber drink.

Draco, Ginny, and Pansy followed Neville's example and said, "Firewhiskey." Dumbledore rolled his eyes but wasn't too bothered. And then Pansy and Draco mirrored each other by downing their drinks entirely like they'd been doing it for years. That was an issue for another time. Their tumblers refilled, and thankfully they let them sit.

Nagini asked for, "Root Beer," to several raised eyebrows as her goblet became a stein and filled with the sparkling dark beverage. "With ice," she added almost shyly. She shrugged and her cheeks coloured a little pink at the disbelieving glances. She mumbled something about the 1920's before basically hiding behind her drink like a child. Delphi laughed out loud at the antics of her companion.

"Blackberry Daquiri," Dumbledore said with a grin. His dark purple drink materialized in what looked like a margherita glass.

Delphi ignored everyone's expectant eyes as she grinned, "Mango Lassi with a straw,". And so it appeared. Her standard goblet automatically transformed into a Collins glass, and the straw was included. To the slight mortification of the others, she consumed that golden nectar in thirty seconds flat. She tapped her glass and it refilled with the drink she believed was proof at least some kind of god existed.

"Are we all settled in?" Delphi asked as she sipped her Mango Lassi demurely. Everybody else had gotten busy filling their smaller plates with some of the food as well. To the relief of everybody, Delphini was drinking her second serving with a little more grace. Luna was the only one who caught that Delphi's sudden manifestation of acceptable table manners was the result of an unimpressed look from Nagini specifically. Nagini's plate was filled with strawberries and nothing else, which Luna thought was very interesting. But perhaps it was a luxury she couldn't appreciate as a snake? Luna slowly began summoning pieces of food to her plate to compensate for only having one arm. Pansy closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them, visibly beating down an inner voice of the negative persuasion. She quietly offered to serve Luna, and Luna gave her a surprised smile before nodding.

Delphi waved her hand and a plate filled itself with some of the assorted less adventurous cheeses offered and a few of the thicker salami slices along with a couple too many pieces of baguette.

"I believe we are," Dumbledore replied. There were nods from the others. "Mind yourselves now, three glasses is the limit for Firewhiskey tonight. I'm tolerant, but I will not abide drunken foolishness on school premises…at least while I'm directly supervising," Dumbledore tacked on at the end, knowing full-well how out of control most quidditch parties got in regard to smuggled in Firewhiskey and Butterbeer.

"So, Careers then. Who wants to start?" Hermione raised her hand first, as if anybody could beat her reflexes. Pansy scoffed quietly at the Gryffindor, which earned her a dirty look from Ginny and Harry. Pansy rolled her eyes. Luna, who somehow ended up _much _closer to Pansy than when the conversation started, smiled serenely at her friends.

Delphi set down her Mango Lassi and face palmed. "Oh, I should point out that you die a year prior to the end of the War," Delphi said, pointing at Dumbledore. He didn't seem that surprised, letting out a deep exhale. "You tried to put this on," Delphi said as she tapped her invisible ring, making it seen. Dumbledore's eyes immediately widened as he recognized the Resurrection Stone. Luna did too, and she held her breath as the relic was brought out so casually. "It was one of Dad's horcruxes, and he charmed it with a decaying curse of some kind. Snape was able to prolong your life by about a year. But at the end of the 1996-1997 school year, you ordered him to kill you to cement his place in Dad's inner circle. It worked brilliantly, but the Order of the Phoenix only had Harry's witness account. And he didn't have even half the full story, so he was an enemy of the Order from then until his murder."

There was a silence filled with tentative sipping of alcohol and other beverages before Harry asked, "How did Snape die?"

Nagini sighed and responded, "My alternate self basically ripped his throat out. Voldemort immobilized him first."

"But you just said the deception worked," Hermione spoke up.

"Oh, it did work. Voldemort believed Snape was loyal to the last," Delphi replied. She debated on whether to disarm Dumbledore or not, and eventually settled for the less chaotic option. She didn't want to risk spilling her Mango Lassi. So Delphi drew her timeline's version of the Elder Wand. It didn't look like an exact replica of Dumbledore's, it had a long multi-segmented handle and instead of weird bulbous sections down its length, Delphini's Elder Wand curved back and forth down its length. It basically looked like an wand interpretation of a flamberge sword. "This is the Elder wand of my timeline. Snape died because Voldemort believed he was its 'true owner'. He was wrong and Snape died for nothing really. But he was able to clear things up posthumously by giving Hermione and Harry his memories."

Delphi noticed Dumbledore and Luna both recognize the magnitude of the moment. And Delphi decided to flex a little. She drew from her infinite pocket the third Hollow, the Invisibility cloak, and draped around herself with a flourish. She laid her hand across her chest and tapped her ring with her Elder Wand with it vertical; so that in the moment, she was physically imitating the triangle, circle, and line of the Deathly Hollows symbol. The cloak around her, the stone over her heard, and wand pointing towards the heavens, snug against the stone.

There was definitely a shift in the room, an autumn breeze that came from nowhere. Only Delphi could see Death walking around them giving Delphi a raised eyebrow. She was not entirely pleased with being summoned in such a manner. Death was a chill woman, so she just rolled her eyes as she recognized what Delphi was doing. _Mortals and their flexing._

Delphi's eyes briefly glowed before she put the Elder Wand and Cloak away after making her Peverell ring invisible again. Death twirled her over the top scythe and chuckled a little before vanishing from Delphi's view. Luna's gaze snapped to where Death was standing a moment before, and Delphi was _very interested _in that, but she had higher priorities right now. "We can talk about the Deathly Hollows _later_, I'm already getting off-topic enough as it is," Delphi said sternly at Dumbledore and Luna's identical look of longing. Dumbledore wordlessly conjured a shot glass and tapped it, alerting the elves in the kitchen to fill it with Firewhiskey. He downed it, and then another before giving Delphi his full attention again.

"Fair enough," Delphi muttered. "I'm just going to go back to the future questions again, because I'm really getting bogged down in the details. So, Hermione Granger, you wanted to know what you were doing on my point on the timeline in the early 2020's? That's _when _I'm from, by the way, 2023."

Hermione wasn't sure what just happened, but she knew something BIG just happened because Dumbledore was shook, and so was _Luna_. But she _really _wanted to know what her alternate reality self was like, "Yes. I want to know."

"You become the Minister of Magic. One of the youngest ever, and the first Muggleborn Minister," Delphi said. She couldn't help but add, "Minister Hermione Granger also sent me to Azkaban without a trial…so that's a thing that happened."

Hermione's ecstatic glee took a turn at Delphini's second tidbit about the future. "WHAT?"

Delphi laughed. "To be fair to you, you were a direct witness and/or involved in my crimes, so my 'guilt' was assured. It wasn't a Sirius Black situation. Mandatory Veritaserum was standard at the time thanks to laws passed after the war for the Death Eater Trials. If I went to trial, my testimony would've been catastrophic for you and the people you cared about. At minimum you would've been my cellmate or something…which might have been interesting actually," Delphi thought for a moment about how hot Minister Granger was, but then looking at _teenage Granger_, she got herself back under control…mostly.

"You can't just–," Hermione was building up steam but Delphi interrupted.

"NOPE. I may explain later, but we need to move on, who's next?"

Draco raised his hand.

"You, cousin, didn't exactly have a normal job. You simply didn't need to, Malfoy fortune and all, even after _significant _reparations you were forced to pay after the war ended. But you were an alchemist, and a really good potioneer actually. Maybe not quite as good as Snape, but for a hobby, you were certainly no slouch at the art either. Oh, you also had a son."

"I had a son?" Draco said with a smile that was foreign to basically everyone at the table except Pansy, who had known Draco before Lucius corrupted him.

"Yeah. I thought he was a right little shit to be honest, but then again, I also tried to murder like most of you, so I'm probably a little biased. Little Scorpius was clever, I'll give him that. And you were proud of him, but also a little emotionally distant, especially after your wife died from some random congenital condition."

Draco wasn't exactly sure how to react to this information. "Who was my wife?" Draco croaked.

"Astoria Greengrass," Delphi said.

"'Tori dies?" Pansy whimpered. Draco blushed at the name, and then paled when he realised she died prematurely.

"If you convince her to get checked out at St. Mungo's you might catch it early?" Delphi suggested. "I honestly don't know exactly what it was, just that it had was a long deterioration. Sorry," Delphi said quietly. Pansy looked like Christmas would never come again, and Draco looked like he'd seen a ghost. _Oops_, Delphi thought.

"Who's next?" Delphi asked.

"Me," Luna said.

"You travel the world and discover new species of magical creatures. Hilariously, your alternate self decided to marry into the Scamander family," Delphi said as she gave Nagini a look.

"Newt's family?" Nagini asked with a smile. "He was such a kind man. I hope his descendants inherited that. Wait, do you know who he married?" Nagini asked. The teenagers were a little confused, but certainly curious at the tangent Nagini was on.

"Goldstein, I think her name was?" Delphi tried to remember the memories she saw in Grindelwald's mind. "She had a brunette bob,"

"Tina. She was an Auror, a good one." Nagini confirmed.

"Did I prove the existence of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack to the world?" Luna asked in a surprisingly serious tone.

Delphi shrugged, "I'm sorry, I don't know one way or the other. Magizoology was never really my forte, and I didn't keep up with it much." Luna looked a little disappointed, but certainly wasn't disheartened either.

"That's alright," Luna said. "I don't think I'll marry a Scamander in this life," she said as she idly rubbed the upper arm of the amputated side. Pansy smothered her involuntary grin of relief, but also realised she needed to have a serious talk with Luna, and soon.

"What about me?" Neville asks.

"Head of Gryffindor house, and Herbology professor. Oh, I think your wife also owned the _Leaky Cauldron_," Delphi responded promptly.

"Was I ever your professor?" Neville replied.

Delphini chuckled, "Nope. I never attended Hogwarts. I've only been here a handful of times, actually," she admitted. There was a longing in her voice that she couldn't quite hide, and Harry caught onto it immediately.

"I'm sorry about that," Harry said.

Delphi shrugged, "It is what it is. Besides, I'm Voldemort's daughter. I can't imagine I would've been given a fair shot here anyways. There was a lot really shitty behaviour and abuse thrown at Slytherins for years afte the war. Even though Slytherin lost about as many lives as the other houses defending the castle from the Death Eaters. They lost a little bit less actually, because they escorted most of the kids to safety until the passage out was rendered inoperable,"

Pansy spoke up, "What house do you think you'd be sorted into?"

Delphi smirked, "I'm Slytherin's heir. You've seen what I'm capable of to achieve my ends, Pansy. We're shield-sisters."

"I think you'd be a Gryffindor," Dumbledore floated.

"Excuse me?" Delphi scoffed. "I'm a lot of things, but _brave _isn't really one of them."

"You ended a war, and stood up to your parents in the Ministry," Neville pointed out almost reluctantly. "That takes guts."

Delphi was about to say something she'd probably regret before Nagini squeezed her hand, stopping her before the unsorted witch roasted Longbottom for the insinuation she'd be a fucking _Gryffindor_ of all things.

Pansy frowned at Delphi's earlier phrasing but shrugged, "Shield-sisters? Fair enough. Where am I in the future?"

Delphi said, "I actually don't really know. Right before the Battle of Hogwarts started, Voldemort entreated that Harry Potter surrender himself to prevent any bloodshed. You shouted something like, 'he's right there, grab him!'." Pansy immediately got a few dirty looks, and she looked ashamed. Delphi rolled her eyes at the predictable reactions.

"In _my _opinion," Delphi started in a sharp tone, "Pansy didn't really do anything wrong." This earned Delphini a few glares. "Look. The Horcruxes were known by exactly _three_ people. There was no way anybody knew that turning Harry over then would have been a bad idea from a _strategic _standpoint. Turning over one life to save a school full of children? That's a bargain."

"Definitely Slytherin," Draco muttered.

"And anyways, it's what you did in the end anyway. Or your alternate self. You surrendered yourself to destroy the horcrux in you. In other words, you did _exactly _what Parkinson suggested from the start. So while turning you over before the battle would've been bad in _hindsight_, it was a legitimate strategy."

"You've put a lot of thought into this," Dumbledore remarked casually.

Delphi shrugged, "I lost my mother, my father, and my cousin on that night. I'd be damned if I didn't learn everything about it that I could, and reliable accounts from both sides of it were abundant by the time I was a teenager."

"Thanks," Pansy said quietly.

"I'm not exactly defending _you, _you know?" Delphi pointed out.

"I know. But I'm still grateful," Pansy said stubbornly. Delphi shrugged as she finished her _third _round of Mango Lassi and helped herself to more baguette.

"The most I know is that you eventually left Britain for North America; Canada, I think. That's where my knowledge of you stops," Delphi said to Pansy.

"What about me?" Ginny asked.

Delphi paused for a moment in deep contemplation. They misunderstood Delphini's hesitation. She decided she already beard an _embarrassing _amount of her soul to this crazy group of kids, what was another moment of _feeling. _Delphini rummaged inside her infinite pocket and withdrew an action figure. She tossed it to Ginny. "That was my only toy growing up. It a way, you were kinda my hero." The action figure was of Ginny Weasley (before she married Harry) in her Holy Head Harpies Quidditch uniform. "You made it to the pros. In my time, you retired and are the editor of the sports section of the Daily Prophet." Delphi said smoothly.

Ginny was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she was holding an actual piece of evidence that she surpassed her brothers in Quidditch beyond the shadow of a doubt.

Harry chuckled at Ginny. He knew she was good, but she really must have pushed herself to go pro. "What is my career in the future?"

Delphi turns to Harry and said, "You have Amelia Bones' job. Head of the DMLE. You _also _were part of the 'send Voldemort's daughter to Azkaban without a trial'. But other than that, records state you were good at your job. It's a shame you were a shit father," Delphi trailed off with a wince, as she managed to open _another _fucking can of worms.

"WHAT?"


	12. Villain Academia

CHAPTER: A Villain in Academia

_ Delphi turns to Harry and said, "You have Amelia Bones' job. Head of the DMLE. You also were part of the 'send Voldemort's daughter to Azkaban without a trial'. But other than that, records state you were good at your job. It's a shame you were a shit father," Delphi trailed off with a wince, as she managed to open another fucking can of worms._

_ "WHAT?"_

"Yeah, you and your whole family ostracized your Slytherin son, despite him easily being the most like you of your three brats," Delphi continued as she refilled her mango lassi again. Harry looked horrified, which was exactly what Delphi was hoping to see, "I spent some time getting to know him actually. He was the middle child of three, and in your last fight with him, when he was fifteen, you said something along the lines of, 'I wish you weren't my son'. And since my _own _father basically shared the same sentiment with me, I can tell you that it's a horrible feeling."

"You're lying," Harry said.

"Unfortunately, I'm not. It was one of the reasons he was so easy to manipulate," Delphi said flippantly. "I mean, in addition to me probably being his sexual awakening," Delphi smirked, making everyone uncomfortable. "He was _so _starved for adult acknowledgement, he failed to spot my admittedly not-so-subtle deceit. It was pathetic really, and a lot of it was him trying to get his daddy to acknowledge him as his own child for once in his life," Delphini sneered.

"No need to be cruel Delphi," Dumbledore reprimanded the young woman.

"I'm not being cruel to _him_. I'm describing an alternate version of Potter in his late thirties as a shit father, which is basically a matter of _fact_. Hey, Potter, do yourself a favour, and maybe treat your children equally this time around? You'd think your alter would know better considering the childhood you had being the 'least loved,'" Delphi said.

"That's an understatement," Harry muttered. "You've given me a lot to think about. Oh, who did I marry?"

Delphi closed her eyes and exhaled loudly through her nose. It was _not _very dignified. She remained silent for a small while. "Delphi? Are you going to answer the question?" Harry asked.

"I'm holding your future in my hands, Harry Potter. My answer could very well change the course of your life, completely by accident. So I'm going to ask again. Are you prepared to well and truly abandon the path walked by your alternate self?"

Harry nodded. "I'm sure. Like Dumbledore said, Voldemort dying has already changed a great deal, more than any of us will ever know. But _you _will. It doesn't feel like abandoning my future self's life path. Asking you about _your _Harry Potter's life feels more like asking to be spoiled on a film I'm never going to see anyway." Delphi raised an eyebrow. That was some solid intelligence shown right there. Granted, Delphini wasn't exactly acquainted with _her _Potter any further than a few _Avada Kedavra_'s and a failed Voldemort impression.

Delphi shrugged, "Your marry _her_," she said, pointing at Ginny.

"Really?" Ginny asked with a grin.

"Like father like son I suppose," Dumbledore mused aloud. He got some confused looks until Delphini nodded.

"It's the redhead thing right?" Delphi smirked at the furiously blushing maybe-not-to-be-married couple. "Sometimes I think Sigmund Freud may have been onto something, despite being a raving lunatic," she finished with a lecherous grin at the teenage version of her girlhood hero. Nagini rolled her eyes at her companion's antics.

"Ginny…" Harry looked almost nauseous.

"Nope that ruined it for me too, sorry Harry," Ginny muttered. She had no desire to be some sort of oedipal fascination for the Boy-Who-Lived. She had a _basic _amount of respect for herself.

"See what I mean?" Delphi asked with her hands out in a Gaelic shrug. "Though on the alternate timeline I don't think they had the best of marriages. Auror Potter and Minister Granger were _definitely _shagging behind their spouses' backs." Delphi just didn't know when to stop, so Nagini lightly punched Delphi's arm, gaining her attention.

_"Was that necessary? Look at their faces," _Nagini scolded in parseltongue. Delphi just let out a sigh and a nod.

"Who was my spouse?" Hermione asked tentatively.

Delphi exchanged a look and Nagini sent her a glare that said, 'See?' Delphini replied, "Ronald Weasley."

"Oh." Hermione said as she sat down heavily in her seat.

"I confess myself curious, you seem to have been an adversary to this generation on the timeline you came from. Could you explain that?" Dumbledore asked.

"Long story short, I wanted to stop my father's first fall. So I travelled to Halloween night, 1981 to tell him to _not _attack the Potter family. To think you almost had a childhood that wasn't hell." Delphi scoffed. "Draco, Ginerva, Auror Potter, Ronald Weasley, Minister Granger, Potter's least favourite child, and Draco's son followed me back in time using a highly illegal time turner. They were able to subdue me after a fight that lasted about five minutes or so. It was humiliating," Delphi trailed off. "I asked Potter to kill me, and he didn't. I then asked him to erase my memories, but he said my punishment was 'you have to live with being an orphan' or some profound shit; so I was shipped off to Azkaban without a trial. Me under Veritaserum would've ratted out the young Potter and Malfoy, so they just didn't want to deal with that," Delphi took a moment to eat some cheese and bread while the others processed what she had just told them.

"Later, I broke out, stole the two time-turners, did some light breaking and entering, and came to this timeline. Ta-da!" Delphi smirked at them.

"I still have a lot of questions," Luna confessed in an almost embarrassed voice, which drew a few surprised eyes.

Delphi sighed, "Look. I think we've done enough delving into the past for the moment. I'm spent, personally. If you've got questions about other things, then go for them."

"What are you going to do now?" Hermione asked. Delphi looked at the young girl with the damn near untamable hair. She probably had at least a dozen questions lined up despite processing so much information at once.

Delphi looked at Dumbledore with a sly grin on her face. "Headmaster, have you received any applications for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the coming school year?" There were a few gasps. Nagini just chuckled before re-filling her American soda.

"I have actually," Dumbledore hedged.

"That's unfortunate for them. I don't think they can top 'Dark Lord Slayer' or whatever the Daily Prophet is calling me this week. I'll interview for the job and everything," Delphi said with an eager grin.

Dumbledore wasn't entirely surprised Delphi was going down this route. "You are aware your father interviewed for the position?"

Delphi's smirk turned a little colder when she replied, "I remember seeing a memory where you condescended to him and belittled his achievements, yes." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, no doubt going to explain that Tom Riddle had been a monster by that point.

"The Dark Lord wanted to teach here?" Pansy said as if it was the weirdest thing ever. Even Nagini raised an eyebrow at that revelation.

"The most knowledgeable person in the country on the Dark Arts was rejected for the post, but _Guilderoy Lockhart _met your standards?" Hermione asked, seeming genuinely insulted. She was ignored. Luna didn't try very hard to hide her grin.

"Delphi, your father," Dumbledore started before Delphi lightly interrupted him.

"Was a murderer of at least four people that you suspected by that point, yes I know. Technically speaking, one of them was manslaughter," Delphi shrugged. She was predictably met with looks of confusion and surprise for the umpteenth time in the course of the conversation. "Myrtle Warren wasn't his intended target. I'm not exactly sure who is, but considering his animosity towards the purebloods of his own house at the time, I'm not even sure he was targeting Muggleborns yet. She was literally in the stall, right there. She just sort of peeked out and died. But my grandfather, and his parents certainly died by my father's hand." Delphi summed up.

"But you couldn't _prove _anything," Delphi pointed out with some real anger in her voice. "You treated my father as an _enemy _from the moment you met him and I've seen the memories to prove it. He obviously needed a role model, some sort of basic empathy or compassion, and instead you decided to use your advanced powers to coerce him into _making peace with his abusers_." Delphi hissed out.

"What do you mean?" Neville spoke up, the first time in a while.

"My father was always an odd one. A loner. The older children in the orphanage preyed on him before he could fend them off with his 'special powers' as a child. Of course this just led to even more abuse after you strictly prohibited him from self-defense. Any of this sounding familiar to you, Potter?" Delphi asked with a sneer. She wasn't the only one who noticed not just Harry, but Luna, Neville, _and _Hermione looking distinctly uncomfortable. They all found commonalities with the picture Delphi painted that they wished they could just shrug off, but were unable to.

"I would think, Albus Dumbledore, with _your family's particular history, _that you'd have been more sympathetic to young Tom's plight."

"Enough," Dumbledore said, the twinkle dwindled from his eyes. The temperature in the room dropped and everyone felt it. Nagini shifted even closer to Delphi, who's eyes were fixed on Dumbledore's. Neither could penetrate each other's mind, though neither were trying particularly hard either.

"If you think what _happened _to your obscurial little sister Ariana _didn't _happen to Tom, you're deluding yourself. It's a miracle my father _wasn't _an obscurial. Could you imagine how fucked you'd have been if he was?" Delphi shook her head, she was getting slightly off-topic. "That you treated my young father so callously honestly has baffled me for years." Delphi took a breath before Dumbledore could intercede, she posed a question, "Do you at least feel like explaining why you decided to emotionally abuse a slight and obviously traumatised eleven year old boy who just found out he wasn't the only one of his kind in the world?"

There was a long silence, but Delphini held Dumbledore's gaze through it all. "He _felt _off. And while I was right in the end, I was wrong to be so indifferent to the boy," he said at last.

"Right in the end? Have you ever considered that the lesson you taught him in his pitiful little room that day was the foundation Lord Voldemort was built upon?" Delphi asked quietly.

The kids' attention was rapt as they watched this back and forth between the two strongest adults they'd ever met. "What ever do you mean?" Dumbledore asked.

"The lesson you tried to teach him? That he should 'not be a bully' or whatever? That _was _your intent, yes?" Delphi asked for clarification.

"You're saying _I _was the bully in that situation instead?" Dumbledore surmised.

"Yes. But more importantly, you taught him that you could literally have done whatever you wanted to him and would have been untouchable by the law. Or at least, would have been able to avoid it, despite having committed a crime. You threatened him, and made him believe that _all _of his worldly possessions perished in the magic fire you conjured. You're not an orphan, so you cannot imagine what that minute of horror must have felt like for him." Harry looked deeply uncomfortable with the level of empathy he was beginning to feel for the child that was Voldemort.

"You taught my father that day that 'might makes right'. And what could be a better philosophy to explain his most heinous actions more recently that that? 'There is no good or evil, only power, and those too weak to seek it.'" Delphi quoted from the memory she saw in Auror Potter's confrontation with Quirrell. "_You _nurtured the seed that became Lord Voldemort. And while you can't be directly held accountable for his later atrocities, your abject failure as a _teacher _that day had a cascading effect of horrific consequences." Delphi took a breath as she became even more heated than before.

She managed to calm herself down though, so she retreated to the topic that started this trip down memory lane. "My _point_ is that if you had proof of his wrong doings, Hagrid wouldn't have been expelled, for starters, and you would have moved to stop him long before he eclipsed Grindelwald. Or, at least in Britain. Grindelwald fractured the whole of Europe, but avoided the United Kingdom almost entirely because he didn't want to see you. You rejected my father out of spite. Because on paper, he was the best candidate that has _ever _interviewed for a teaching position at this institution since I would imagine its inception."

"You're saying he wouldn't have recruited Death Eaters out of Hogwarts?" Dumbledore prodded.

"He obviously did that anyway because you refused to use your political clout to silence the blood purists in the 1970's. Look, I'm not actually _disagreeing _with you on the notion that my father teaching here would have been _bad._ I'm simply furious with you because you had _so _many opportunities to do the right thing, and the _power _to execute your will, but instead you _elected _to do the wrong thing every single time." Delphi looked down to where Nagini was bumping her head against her upper arm again in that frustratingly endearing fashion.

"I would like to teach at this school, and I think you would only have to gain from it. Looking at it from perhaps the most cynical perspective, you could use my potential posting here to keep an eye on me for the time being," Delphi grinned. Draco noted how often her moods seemed to fluctuate, and so did Hermione and Ginny. Luna obviously noticed _everything_.

"I imagine the Aurors would be able to keep a better eye on you," Dumbledore ventured without any _real _ill intent. "I saw what you did in the ministry. While your targets may differ, you're no less savage than your mother."

Delphi let out a delighted guffaw that sent even _more _chills down spines. It really was _too _much like Bellatrix's for them to _not _have some sort of reaction to it. "I don't think you want a bunch of dead Aurors on your conscience, Headmaster," Delphi raised an eyebrow. "I've at least doubled in power since my apprehension by the authorities in my native timeline. And I'm _a lot _saner now; believe it or not. Therapy with Dr. Shirai is working wonders. Besides, I've always wanted to live in this castle; or at least spend time here. It was always some far off legend to me, but never an _actual _possibility you know?"

Dumbledore let out a long-suffering sigh. He knew where this was going. "Is this your interview then, Ms. Peverell?"

"It's a damn sight better than the one you gave my father, and you know far more about me on an actionable level than you ever knew him. Besides, I've proven I'm willing to kill to protect these children. Surely with my father's remaining forces at large, you'd not refuse such an asset to defend your young charges. You're no spring chicken anymore old man," Delphi smirked at the man who was over one hundred years her senior.

"Send in an official application and I'll review it with the others," the Headmaster conceded with another long suffering sigh.

Delphi pumped her fist in the air. Everybody in the room knew she'd get the job now. "Meeting adjourned!" Delphi declared as she promptly got to her feet and practically floated to the exit with Nagini. "I'll be in touch, Headmaster!"

"Wait!" Dumbledore called when Delphi had her hand on the door lever. "Have you per chance been sorted yet?" He somehow produced the Sorting Hat from nowhere.

Delphi looked with a grin at her soon to be employer. "I have not." Delphi waved her wand, wordlessly confirming that _was _in fact the actual sorting hat and not a simulacrum created by the Room of Requirement. It was the genuine article. Delphi's transformation from being basically a physical incarnation of dark lightning in a bottle to the madly grinning _child _in front of them clamoring for the Sorting Hat was slightly jarring.

"Can I?" Delphi asked with a real sense of innocent wonder as she reached for the Hat.

Dumbledore considered, but then he _smirked_, "Ms. Peverell, you may find out what House you belong to along with all other first-time comers to the castle at the opening feast on the evening of September 1st."

Delphi's first reaction was annoyance at Dumbledore having her on, but then she grinned widely and replied, "Wouldn't miss it for the world boss. Oh, and before I forget, Grindelwald wanted you to _visit_ him sometime this year." Dumbledore's eyes grew wide with the wink she sent him to sell the innuendo. "Luna and Ginny, I'll be in contact with you all soon for various reasons. Draco…" Delphi quickly walked up to him and tapped his forehead muttering something in a language none of them understood. "I forgot the memory activation after the implant. _Now _you'll have an idea of what Luna went through due to our fathers' subordinates."

Delphi and Nagini left the others in a state of mild shock at everything that had just happened as they flounced to an exit that wasn't there a moment ago and vacated the room.


	13. Get Sorted

CHAPTER:

"That just about wraps up our session Delphi. Now that it's upon you, how are you feeling about going to Hogwarts, albeit not as you had intended when you were a child?" Kuroko Shirai asked as she set down her clipboard. Delphi lounged on a sofa across from her therapist.

"Absolutely thrilled," Delphi whispered with a true smile. She didn't really need to say much else. Dr. Shirai was apparently pleased with her words, or saw something else in her expression that prompted her to close their session.

"I'll see you next week then?" Dr. Shirai asked as she wheeled herself out the door alongside the towering Delphi.

Delphi nodded down at the woman who would have stood a foot shorter than her, even were she unbound by her magically enhanced wheelchair. Dr. Shirai's wife, Mikoto, and Nagini were waiting for them in the lobby of Dr. Shirai's private practice. Mikoto was making a one pound sterling coin levitate and flip over and over through the air in an artfully controlled manner with her left hand. There were sporadic bursts of electricity between her flesh and the metal coin which Nagini was apparently enraptured with. Delphi paused at the look of childish wonder in her companion's eyes.

"Mikoto, do you really have to do that parlor trick here?" Dr. Shirai said as she rolled her eyes. Mikoto looked up to see her wife had finished with her patient, and magnetically propelled the coin to cross the room to smack Dr. Shirai between the eyes. Delphi grinned as the married couple spent the next couple minutes in a strangely subtle and hilarious duel. Mikoto won by basically running electricity through her hands through Dr. Shirai's arm and into the ground.

As it turned out Dr Shirai, or Kuroko as she insisted on being called outside the office, had a patient cancel, which left her with some time afterwards to have fun. So naturally Nagini suggested they all go do the adult thing and visit the ice-cream shop. This development suited Delphini perfectly, since she and Mikoto had been working on something. "So, there's this girl I know who is in want of a prosthetic arm," Delphi said as she wiped her chin free of the chocolate fudge she'd smeared there in her eagerness.

"You broke yours already?" Mikoto asked as she peered critically at Delphi's left arm.

"Nope. Mine's all good. A future student of mine had her arm blown off in that _kerfuffle _at the ministry a few months back. She lost it saving her girlfriend, I think. Maybe they're just friends? Whatever, not my business," Nagini rolled her eyes at Delphini's speculating. Delphi took out a vial and handed it to Mikoto. "Here's a short memory of the girl, so you should be able to take the necessary measurements. I'd like at least a Mark I by September 1st. I'll pay for you to take your time after that, and the rush job." Delphini said as she then laid down a wad of pounds sterling in cash.

"She'll do it! Think of all the toys we can buy with this!" Kuroko exclaimed excitedly at the sight of the money. It wasn't the first time Delphi wondered how somebody as excitable and occasionally lewd like Dr. Kuroko Shirai could be such an effective therapist. Mikoto shocked her wife for the 'toys' comment.

Mikoto rolled her eyes, "Alright. What's the girl's name?"

"Luna Lovegood," Nagini said softly.

"Pandora's daughter?" Kuroko asked with surprise. Mikoto looked concerned.

"She lost her arm?" Mikoto asked quietly with no small amount of hidden venom.

"Death Eater Parkinson surprised everyone by firing a blasting curse at his daughter Pansy's chest. Little Lovegood pushed Pansy out of the way just in time to save her. And she paid the price," Delphi responded calmly.

"And Parkinson?" Mikoto asked with deadly calm.

Delphi smirked with a distinctly sadistic look in her eyes, "You'll see it in the memory. I edited some bits out, because they are exceedingly personal, but I don't think you'll be disappointed; I know I surely wasn't. Also, that memory will clear up some in broad strokes some of the reasons around why I started therapy with you in the first place, Kuroko. It also contains information that I hope you'll keep strictly confidential, especially from the Aurors. So I ask that you send the vial back to me once you've watched your fill. You both have my permission."

"Thank you," Kuroko said a little sobered by the darker turn the conversation had taken.

"Cheer up! At least this way, you can guarantee Luna will never disappoint Miss Parkinson in bed. I can tell you from experience, the vibrator function is _divine_," Delphi continued without a hint of decorum as she wiggled her prosthetic fingers at the Japanese couple while Nagini just looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her to hide her raging blush.

Delphi left the ice cream shop with a few distinct electrical burns, but with a wide grin on her face. Nagini was still blushing, but she was chuckling at the reprimand Mikoto dealt her companion.

The Hogwarts Express was a novelty that Delphi thoroughly believed the Muggleborn and half-bloods didn't appreciate enough. It was September 1st, and she was on the scarlet train she'd dreamt about her whole life.

The dark witch knew that it was childish, since she'd accomplished so much else outside the realm of academia; but there was a little girl deep down inside her squealing with glee as the grey smog of London disappeared into the distance. There was just some feeling deep down that screamed, 'I've finally made it!'. Of course, Delphi's daughter was enjoying this just as much. It was Zelda's first time on a train as well.

Delphi was sitting in one of the student compartments since she really had nowhere else to go and the train didn't exactly anticipate professors riding it to Hogwarts. Because most professors had standards…

Delphi was not alone, however. "Mummy, cows!" Zelda squealed as they passed through some farmlands that indeed had some pretty brown cows out in the pasture. Thank gods for the wards on the train that prevented the putrid manure smell from getting into the compartments.

The unbridled joy in her new daughter's eyes helped Delphi cope with the retrospective doubt she was feeling about turning her mother into a young girl. "Yes, I see it. Did you count how may there were?" Delphi responded softly.

"…four?" Zelda asked with a head tilt.

"Yes. Good job kid," Delphi grinned as she gently patted her daughter on the head, not unlike a puppy. Okay, so maybe she wasn't totally mother material yet. But she was learning.

"Delphi? Um, Professor Peverell?" a knock came from outside their compartment. It was Neville, Luna, and Ginny.

"Come in!" Delphi said with a shrug. With a wave of her hand, she levitated their trunks onto the luggage racks above their heads. "_Incarcerous," _Delphi muttered as tethers secured the luggage there. "Can never be too careful. Wouldn't want that coming down on our heads if the train ride isn't as smooth as it should be. This is my daughter Zelda Venator Peverell. She'll be staying with me."

"Is that allowed?" Neville asked. He was looking at the young girl with a slight frown. He intellectually knew this was no longer the cackling mad woman who haunted his nightmares, but emotionally, it wasn't so cut and dry.

"Hi! Can we be friends?" Zelda spoke up with big wide eyes and asked the boy her past life had orphaned.

And like that, Neville's frown disappeared. There was just no way this _adorable _little girl was guilty. Neville may lack a lot of things, but character judgement wasn't one of them, "Yeah, sure thing Zelda. I'm Neville." He didn't miss Delphi's small smirk that he couldn't help but feel was more _relieved _than she'd ever admit. He was also aware of what Delphi was capable of if he did anything _remotely _threatening in front of Zelda.

"I'm Luna. It's nice to meet you, Little Star,"

Delphi grinned at the blonde. "Your eyes are pretty," Zelda responds as she gazes at the opulent silver eyes of the blonde Irish girl looking down at her quizzically. Luna beamed at the child after receiving such an earnest compliment. Then Zelda seemed to realize what she said to a total stranger and 'meeped'.

Delphi chuckled as Zelda proceeded to bury her face in her mum's shoulder, totally embarrassed. "How's the new arm working for you?" Delphi asked the blonde in question.

Luna flexed her metal fingers underneath her glove and gave Delphi a winning smile, "I can't thank you enough. When daddy saw me using it to serve myself tea for the first time again he cried. And then I cried. It was a lovely morning, so naturally there were many pancakes."

Delphi smiled back, though a little odd that was what Luna's mind jumped to, but whatever. She could get behind a celebratory pancake breakfast. "I'm Ginny," the lone Weasley said with a smile.

"Hi," Zelda said a bit muffled as she was still embarrassed because of her instant infatuation with Luna. Delphi just chuckled some more as Zelda feebly beat her shoulder in retaliation.

The prefects eventually came back, Harry replacing Ronald as sixth-year prefect. "This is Harry, Draco, Hermione, and Pansy." Delphi said, pointing out the newcomers to her daughter. Delphi took a small moment to thank herself for having cast undetectable extension charms on the compartment when she and Zelda found it. Fitting so many people to a normal compartment would have been difficult.

Delphi found herself looking at Luna. From the memories she'd seen and archived from her timeline's Narcissa, Lucius and Draco, she knew that during the last year of the war, Luna was taken off the train around this point in the journey back to London. She spent _months _in the cellar of Malfoy Manor. As far as Narcissa knew, and she was the one who patched up the prisoners so she _would _know, Luna had never been raped or sexually assaulted. The odd _Crucio _if Bellatrix was feeling particularly peevish, but the Irish girl was left alone for the most part. According to Lucius' memories, Lord Voldemort had actually met the girl personally. She had multiple meetings with the man. Delphi hadn't been able to track down Luna in her native timeline to get the content of those meetings from her memory. But the fact that the blonde intrigued her father was certainly something of note. Lord Voldemort had actually declared a moratorium on any of his forces harassing the girl for any reason Narcissa remembered her sister being punished for her disobedience. Delphi wondered exactly why this was. Perhaps he preyed on her alone and didn't want anyone else touching her? No, that didn't seem right either. It wasn't his style. It wasn't because Luna was a pureblood either. He didn't give a damn about that kind of thing. Maybe he recognized another lonely soul?

Delphi realised belatedly that Luna was looking right at her. Once their eyes met, Delphi felt a subtle caress of legillimancy from the girl. Nothing like Rodolphus, who had been brutal in training her. Luna's legillimancy was damn near gentle. It almost felt like there was a girl throwing pebbles at the castle walls of Delphi's mind. Not trying to break in, just catch the attention of the guardsmen so to speak. Only if the castle was an ocean of darkness and Luna stood on a marble spire emerging from the shadows, surrounded by it on all sides as she casually skipped rocks across the surface of the black waters without a care in the world.

"You have legillimancy abilities," Delphi said aloud with a grin. As she and Luna both exited her mindscape, Luna grinned right back.

Everyone fixed Luna with looks from astonished to scared. "Yes. Mummy trained me to not violate people's privacy when I was younger. She was a natural too. And her mother Queenie before her. But I've never seen into any of your memories, don't worry. I _have _gleaned surface thoughts from time to time when you're particularly _loud_ though."

"You just get more interesting the longer I know you," Harry said with a chuckle.

"Thank you!" Luna beamed at him before opening the _Quibbler _and donning some bizarre iteration of muggle 3-D glasses with star frames. She leaned into Pansy, who could not look more pleased.

"You're a prefect now? I figured you'd become quidittch captain, Potter," Pansy said with a raised eyebrow.

Harry shrugged, looking pained. Suffering the loss of his first friend _and _his godfather in one night was weighing on him. Having him take up Ron's position of prefect alongside Hermione was something that couldn't feel easy for him. "I figured that too actually. But I suppose McGonagall and Dumbledore had other ideas."

Ginny suddenly looked uncomfortable. "It's alright Ginny, he won't blame you," Luna spoke up without moving her eyes from the her _Quibbler. _At Ginny's starteled look at her blonde friend, Luna waved her finger around lacsidasically around her head and said, "_guilt speaks loudly."_

"Something to share with the class?" Neville asked the redhead.

"Um. I got this in the mail this summer," Ginny said as she produced the Gryffindor Quiditch Captain badge from her inner breast pocket. "Sorry. I could talk to Professor McGonagall if you want it," Ginny said with an uncharacteristic timidness.

Harry looked at the badge and then back at Ginny for a moment and down at the badge again before breaking out into a grin. "Don't worry about it. You saved the team last year, you have _definitely _earned that badge. And look at it this way, you'll be able to build the team to your liking for the next three years. I think McGonagall made a smart choice making you captain. I guess this means I've got to try out for my position huh?" he said with a cheeky grin.

"Oh fuck no, you're still the Seeker. I've always fancied being a Chaser myself," Ginny replied promptly. And then she met Delphi's scowl and realised she had just dropped an f-bomb in front of an impressionable child. Her expression of horror brought out laughs from the rest of her fellow students.

Delphi lightened up on the glare, but said, "I don't mind the occasional swear, but do use those words sparingly in Zelda's presence alright?"

"Yes Ma'am," Ginny replied immediately.

Delphi waved her hand in a 'don't worry about it' gesture and left the cabin with Zelda so the kids could get some time alone without her.

It was dark when they arrived in Hogsmeade. Zelda had fallen asleep after her fourth chocolate frog and was snoring gently into Delphi's collarbone. Delphi found the whole situation hilarious.

She decided on taking the carriages instead of the boats. She wanted to see the Thestrals before going inside after all. She could hear the half-giant Rubeus Hagrid shouting genially for the first years to follow him to the boats at the docks. Delphi settled her eyes on the eight-and-a-half-foot tall man and realised that her father was responsible for the poor bastard never completing his education. That would have to change.

Unlike the train, Delphi and Zelda took a carriage alone. She didn't want anyone else here with her in this moment. Perhaps it was slightly anti-social, but she wanted to be alone with her thoughts (and slumbering daughter) for the short trip up to the castle.

"Professor Peverell, the Headmaster informed me you'll be sorted after the incoming first years. That is correct?" the Deputy-Headmistress Minerva McGonagall addressed her primly as she walked into the corridor before the Great Hall.

"Correct. Would you mind if I handed my daughter off to you during my time with the sorting hat on my head?"

McGonagall raised an eyebrow, "Planning on being a hat stall are you?"

Delphi shrugged. "I have my own assumptions, but who really knows?"

"I'll hold her. It's been a while since I've seen a child so young within these walls. Oh, and you're a professor here, please call me Minerva."

"Alright then Minerva. Thank you. I'm also pleased that Dumbledore allowed me to modify my own quarters on account of my unique relationship with my companion Nagini. And the fact that I'm a mother who's daughter is quite the handful," Delphi replied as she ran her hand along the wall as they walked slowly to where the Deputy would greet the first-years.

"Yes. That was unusual, but certainly not unprecedented. Worry not, you'll fit in here just fine. And with the curse on your position gone, I hope you stay around for a while. Gods know it would be nice to have a sense of stability within these walls after the last several years we've had," Minerva said as they could hear the first years getting closer to the castle.

"I'm honoured by that sentiment, Minerva." Delphi adjusted her sleeping daughter on her hip before saying, "I'm going to go sit down."

Half an hour later, the first-years had been sorted. Most of them went to Ravenclaw, which was a little strange, but Professor Flitwick looked thrilled. Delphi could see Pomona Sprout receive a handful of sickles from Severus Snape. Delphi knew she had to talk to the man, the myth, the legend. If there was somebody other than Bellatrix that Rodolphus hated most, it would be the vampire cosplayer down the table. That was reason enough alone for Delphini to want to get to know the man. Minerva was giving her a significant look, so Delphi rose to her seat, holding the admirably sleeping Zelda, and strode to where the Gryffindor head of house to the chorus of whispers that broke out. She promptly traded Minerva the child for the hat and sat down on the stool. Despite being a well-proportioned adult, the hat was _still _too big, and it drooped down her face a little. After the first two minutes of silence from the hat, the Headmaster decided to alleviate the swarm of whispers that had swept the Great Hall at the sight of a clearly grown woman sitting for her sorting. A _young _woman, but obviously an adult nonetheless.

Dumbledore tapped his chalice with his silver fork, a genial smile on his face. "Good Evening! I understand this is not the usual routine but fret not. The delightful young woman now being sorted is Delphini Peverell, and she will be our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. At her eager request, she is now being designated a Hogwarts House. Hopefully for longer than the standard ten months her predecessors can boast. I'll wait until she's been sorted to make further announcements."

_"Ah, young Master Riddle and Mistress Black had a child eh? So, as Salazar's descendent, do you want to just go to Slytherin? You also bear the mantle of the Mistress of Death. It's been a _while _since I've been atop the head of one of _Her _agents on this plane."_

_ "Are you going to explain how you know about _Her? _And who they_ _were?_" _Delphi asked._

_"No. It would violate the privacy mandate sewn into my very being. So, would you simply like to enter the house of your forefather?" The Sorting Hat asked with what Delphi could swear was a raised eyebrow, even if she couldn't see his expression._

_"You're asking me?" Delphi replied in her head. She considered before replying, "I'd rather go to wherever you think I belong, not out of some arcane duty to sort those of Founders' blood into the house of their forebearer."_

_ "Interesting. Well, I think you'd be a decent fit for all four houses. Or, at least you'd manage to do well in any of the four. Your recklessness and sheer indomitable spirit would do Gryffindor proud. Your little jaunt to multiple timelines would see you absolutely fulfilling Salazar's mandate of 'achieving your goals, whatever it takes,'. You have yet to tell your new allies and family some of your more _unique _secrets. The nature of your extraordinary powers for starters. A fully fused Obscurial? I've never heard of such a thing. Not to mention the whole multiple timeline/realities thing; you've seen and interfered with a _number _of timelines before landing here. Do you intend to tell them about how you've had romantic and deadly relationships respectively with _several _of their counterparts, each on a different timeline? I confess the expression on young Potter's face would be priceless if you choose to tell him what you got up to with his counterpart _**Ms. Hellas Potter**. _You're not above taking lives either. You actually quite enjoy violence to a disturbing degree, even more than your father, and to a comparable level with your mother."_

_ Delphi took a moment to calm down. She knew the Hat couldn't betray her secrets, but so help her he was infuriating even still. "So, do I truly belong in Slytherin? Because I don't think I've been particularly brave over the course of my life." Delphi responded. She wasn't going to get into it with the hat about her time travel shenanigans; especially about Hellas Potter._

_ "I'll agree that statement has merit, but I think you shouldn't discount the house of lions so quickly. Your copious amounts of research speak to how well you'd fit in Ravenclaw House. Your love of literature and the compulsive _need _to consume stories in any form alone would make that an ideal house for you. Even though I doubt you'd be the most academically inclined from a strict grading perspective. Maybe you should spend some more time around people instead of a book."_

_ "You're a hat. Where do you get off lecturing me about my lifestyle?" Delphi replied with a spectral eye-roll. "I've noticed you're not mentioning the house of the badgers."_

_ "Your loyalty runs deep. You are absolutely a hard worker; that quality goes hand in hand with your eagerness to dirty your hands so to speak."_

_ "I'm really not a proponent of fair play though," Delphi pointed out. "I murder people remember. That's got to be _somebody's _definition of cheating. What would Helga think of what I did to Rodolphus? I doubt many badgers play with their prey like I do."_

_ The Sorting Gat pressed on, batting aside her cheek, "True. But you don't fit any house's creed in full. I think the fate of Bellatrix, or **Zelda** illustrates much of what makes you a fascinating person to sort. I'll go down the list, shall I?_

_Gryffindor: it was a _bold_ thing to do, no question about that. No shortage of people who would have spoken against you, or directly confront you in the future over it if they knew, but their ire is irrelevant to somebody of your level of confidence._

_Ravenclaw: the ritual itself was also backed by copious research you did into blood magic _and _how it affects time travel and such. Far exceeding the standard of any Mastery thesis, if I'm perfectly honest._

_ Slytherin: I think it goes nearly without saying that taking your mother in and hiding her permanently as your daughter is cunning and ruthless to the extreme, as well as going _very far _to achieve your ends. You essentially _murdered _the woman Bellatrix was after all. Highly ambitious of you, from my perspective." The Sorting Hat seemed to chuckle at the end there._

_Delphi sighed as she realized where the hat was going with this, "It's Hufflepuff isn't it. So, let's hear why you in all your wisdom would invite a self-identifying mass-murderer into the house of the badgers? You _are _aware I've _killed_ using the _Cruciatus Curse, _yes? Even most of my father's servants would balk at that."_

_The Sorting Hag laughed in her head, and unbeknownst to her, his laugh was external as well; though their conversation was very much taking place in her well defended mind. "Your methods aside, it's your _motivations _that tip my thoughts to Hufflepuff House. Firstly, your desire to preserve and protect your family; specifically, Nymphadora Tonks and your mother; in a roundabout way. You immediately, if forcibly, roped your aunt Narcissa into your inner circle. Which ultimately saved her from the possibility of her husbands' associates hurting her for whatever reason. Your_

_ But you now have a daughter. You took a woman who was thought mad even by her own allies including her lover to whom she gave _everything_. Bellatrix Black Lestrange was somebody who fit in exactly **nowhere**, and you moved heaven and her a home where she will be loved for as long as you live. If Helga yet lived, she would've been the first to fight the other three for you to be in her house, and she would've won."_

_"She would've beaten Godric and Salazar? In an actual fight? Are you having me on?" Delphi scoffed with a raised eyebrow._

_The Sorting Hat laughed at her, "Salazar and Godric may have been more ah, flamboyant with their abilities. And Ravenclaw was undoubtedly cleverer, but when there was real danger threatening the castle and the hour was dire, it was young Helga they turned to, to finish the fight. So, Delphini Bellatrix Riddle of the families Slytherin, Black, and Peverell…I wish you luck, because you just may be the quintessential _HUFFLEPUFF_!"_


	14. Day One

CHAPTER: Day One

_The Sorting Hat laughed at her, "Salazar and Godric may have been more ah, flamboyant with their abilities. And Ravenclaw was undoubtedly cleverer, but when there was real danger threatening the castle and the hour was dire, it was young Helga they turned to, to finish the fight. So, Delphini Bellatrix Riddle of the families Slytherin, Black, and Peverell…I wish you luck, because you just may be the quintessential _HUFFLEPUFF_!"_

"NO, DON'T TOUCH ME! PLEASE! GET OFF OF ME!" Delphini woke up with a choked scream. She sprung off her back into a sitting position, eyes unnaturally wide, her sheets and blankets shredded themselves as she sent a wave of accidental and chaotic power across the room until it splashed harmlessly against the wards she had set up like an errant wave against an unmovable cliff.

Tears had been coursing down her cheeks, unbidden in her sleep. She gagged as she quickly turned over and retched bile and bits of dinner onto the off-white carpeted floor. Once she had exhausted the contents of her stomach, she sobbed out the rest of her primal fear into her hands, mindless of the snot, tears, and saliva that now coated them. The first coherent thought she had was thankfulness that the silencing ward she laid around her bed spared the other occupants of her flat from hearing her night terrors and subsequent aftermath of such.

Setting up protective wards to defend the structures and people around her as she slept in was a routine to her at this point. Delphini had learnt that the hard way in the ruins of the Rowle Estate.

In the next room, Nagini awoke as she _felt _the primal _terror _of Delphini. She looked down at the adorable Zelda and decided not to bring her to her new mother. Leaving the lightly drooling little girl, she crept to her feet and padded across the carpet to the room on the other side of the wall. She nudged open the door and waited until Delphi noticed her and then weakly beckoned her over with a weak hand wave. Nagini gently wrapped the gasping Delphi in her arms and soothed with gentle humming for a number of minutes until Delphini's quiet sobbing faded entirely. "Look at me _Delphi_." Delphi's tear stained face tilted up slightly until their eyes met. "He'll never touch you again. You avenged yourself when you _annihilated_ him." Nagini said with a soft hissing edge in her voice. Delphi closed her eyes as another couple fat tears fell, but she weakly nodded all the same. She couldn't quite summon her voice quite yet.

Despite the darkness beyond the windows, sleep was a lost cause at that point. Even if Delphi _could _fall asleep before the sun came up, the fear of what awaited her in her nightmares deterred her from trying to get more rest. So Delphi bunkered down in the comfort of Nagini's arms, her lovely scent, and her melodic humming and waited for the dawn to come.

"So…you threw the Sorting Hat across the hall. Would you like to explain yourself now? The rest of us were rather preoccupied with Professor Dumbledore's announcement he would be retiring at the end of this school year." Minerva ground out while giving Delphi some serious side eye at breakfast.

There were not more than a handful of students from any house at their table. After all, at 7am, no one _really _wanted to be awake. Except those two girls from Slytherin and a boy from Hufflepuff who subscribed to practicing physical fitness beyond the ordinary wizard. Delphi looked at them with irritation; she wanted them to feel the burn of morning with her, not be all chipper like they were. Fucking gym rats; or, _whatever the wizard/witch equivalent is_, Delphi grumbled in her mind. It's not that she disliked physical fitness; hell, she went out of her way to keep herself _well fit_. But there was a time and place for that kind of thing, and morning wasn't it.

"The hat woke Zelda up when he went shouting '_HUFFLEPUFF'_ like that like an inconsiderate loon. It took hours to get her to sleep again last night," Delphi shrugged as she slathered her French toast with the raspberries she mashed up with her own fork on the side of her plate with more aggression than was strictly necessary. She didn't even consider bringing up the _real _reason she seemed so obviously sleep deprived.

Delphi took a gulp of water before she started cutting up her food methodically, completely, before taking her first bite. "I'm probably going to join her for naptime today, because I was _not _ready to do today on four hours of sleep."

"And where is your little girl now?" Flitwick asked with a chuckle. He was one of the few faculty members who found his youngest colleague's antics more humorous than heretical.

"Nagini's looking after her while I've got class this morning. Oh, could one of you explain to me why you have the two most rivalrous houses take classes together like Defence Against The Dark Arts and potions? Like, is it tradition or was Dumbledore getting too bored? Slytherins and Gryffindors shouldn't _always _be in classes together. How are any of them supposed to meet badgers or ravens? Or avoid killing each other? I'm glad N.E.W.T. classes at least are condensed to whoever has advanced far enough and not bound by that ridiculously prideful house vs house template."

"It was like that when I was a student here as well, and that was under headmaster Dippet," McGonagall said.

"So Dumbledore's not a particularly innovative head of school then huh?" Delphi said with a sigh. She picked the last of her toast onto her fork and waved around as she said, "So, when you replace him, will you change that? Because I think we'll _all _be pleased with the results."

Minerva didn't respond immediately so Professor Sprout did with, "She's not wrong Minerva."

"Regardless, perhaps she shouldn't make enemies with our boss so early on the first day?" Minerva pointed out dutifully.

Delphi smirked, "Oh, I may have already poked at his _dark _family history and other life choices enough to do that during my ah, _interview_," she confessed.

"Dammit Delphi," Minerva groaned.

"Byeeeeee!" Delphi trilled as she got up to return to her classroom.

Delphi disappeared from the hall before any of the other professors got a word in edgweise. "Well, this year is going to be an interesting one isn't it?" Flitwick said with a potentially maniacal grin.

Minerva gave a long-suffering sigh before pouring herself another helping of pumpkin juice. Except it wasn't pumpkin juice. It was pineapple. "What?"

"It would seem Ms. Peverell switched out the juices. It would explain why she was muttering about Halloween themed beverages when she first sat down," Flitwick said with a grin as Minerva grudgingly finished the glass of tropical fruit juice she had already poured for herself. No sense in wasting it after all.

"What do you think Professor Peverell's class will be like?" was the sentence on everybody's lips, especially the kids who went on her life changing field trip from hell to the Department of Mysteries.

Well, most of everybody had that question in their head. The words on Delphini's lips however were, "Why the fuck did I think I could be a teacher?" She was standing over her desk inside her office with minutes until her first class was set to start arriving in the classroom just down a handful of stairs. Just her luck that it was the N.E.W.T. Level. She had popped back to her flat to spend a few more minutes with Nagini and Zelda before popping right back over to Hogwarts. Portkeys were a magnificent boon that she'd never take for granted.

She was all cocky earlier at breakfast while talking to the other teachers, but now that she was standing behind a desk alone? Her confidence had certainly diminished a bit. Her office was a half-level above the rest of the classroom, separated by a half dozen curving steps. She was never a great people person, and now she had hundreds of _children _to contend with. The fact that she went quite far out of her way to achieve this job was not _lost _on her. At that moment, _Professor Peverell_ wanted to slap past _Delphi_ around because the anxiety was _real. _She briefly consulted her lesson plans and groaned.

Shaking her head out of reminiscing about earlier that morning, Delphi heard a voice call out from her classroom.

"Is this the right classroom?" a timid voice asked. Delphi sucked in her gut and decided it was show time.

Delphi strolled out of her office and saw that not one but three girls had entered the room. "N.E.W.T.S. Level?" Delphi asked.

"Yes," the second girl confirmed. The three were Ravenclaws.

"Right. Why don't you all have a seat then while your classmates trickle in," Delphi suggested as she sat down atop her oaken desk. The students looked like they wanted to comment on the hilariously informal behaviour but restrained themselves admirably.

It wasn't long before faces Delphi recognized made their way into the room interspersed with strangers. Draco and Pansy first, then Luna, Granger, Ginerva, and Potter, who stumbled in seconds before the class was set to begin.

"All right then, this is N.E.W.T. Level Dark Arts and Defence, if you're not in the right classroom you should leave now," Delphi called with a grin. One boy with sandy brown hair got up and left after muttering an embarrassed apology. Delphi rolled her eyes. "It was brought to my attention due to extenuating circumstances, some of you lot are younger than the typical N.E.W.T. students; but Dumbledore assures me of your competence. Every non-seventh year student has earned an outstanding O.W.L. score or provided comparable proof they're up to taking the most advanced Dark Arts course this institution offers." There were a few assorted confused and slightly concerned looks when their professor referred to the class as just 'Dark Arts,' but nobody spoke their trepidation aloud. "So, let's get this show on the road shall we? Names, starting with you," she pointed to a girl on the furthest left of the classroom.

"Marietta Edgecombe," said a Ravenclaw with a striking series of acne scarring across her forehead. It seemed to make out a word that started with 'S', but the healing worked upon it blurred the other letters.

"And you, and then continue that way and then one back and across again and repeat," Delphi said in a bored tone.

"'Cho' Chang," the pretty Scottish witch said softly.

Delphi consulted her class roster and said, "I presume you prefer your middle name to your first?" With a grin Delphi added, "I don't blame _you_ lassie."

Blushing, 'Cho' Chang nodded. "Yes please." Cho got several confused looks as most people frankly didn't realise that 'Cho' wasn't actually a Chinese given name. But it was a Korean surname, which is where Delphi assumed it came from.

Delphi nodded. "No problem. And that goes for anyone else, if you'd prefer me to call you by something other than your given name or surname, let me know yeah? Next."

"Katie Bell."

"Pansy Parkinson," the lone Slytherin girl spoke up.

"Hermione Granger."

"Luna Lovegood."

"Draco Malfoy."

"Harry Potter."

"Ginny Weasley."

"Su Li."

"Alicia Spinnet."

"Lily Moon."

"And I am Delphini Peverell," Delphi chimed in as snapped her fingers and the chalk rose up to write her name on the blackboard. "Before we start, do any of you have miscellaneous questions you'd like to get off your chest?"

Hermione, predictably, raised her hand immediately. With a nod from Delphi, Hermione asked, "I noticed the prerequisite standards for this N.E.W.T. course was altered from what was originally advertised to us. Would you mind telling us why? Neville really wanted to take this class and found out in _August _that he couldn't." Hermione finished accusatorily.

Delphini nodded, "Fair question. I required an 'E' on Potions, Defence, Transfiguration, Charms, and that you've at least taken Care of Magical Creatures. Put simply, those disciplines are all brought together in this class; parts of a whole if you will. In those classes, you learn the skills, and in this one you'll learn some real-world application."

Delphi continued, "Some of you may have heard the muggle idiom that maths is the servant of the sciences or something like that. This is similar. The previous disciplines I marked as a prerequisite all come together to serve you in learning about and potentially defending yourself and others from the nebulous realm that are the Darkest Arts." Hermione nodded her head thoughtfully and wrote something down in her notebook. But quickly looked back at Delphi expectantly and critically. Luna smiled at her dreamily, which was slightly off-putting, but Delphi continued, "Next question?"

"You didn't mention Neville," Harry Potter pointed out.

Delphi shrugged. "I don't doubt the boy's spirit or combat skills, truly. But he didn't meet the prerequisites."

"That's because Snape is biased," Ginny piped up.

Delphi nodded, "He is biased. And abusive. Obviously…not all masters of their art are equipped to teach it" Everybody looked taken aback at her candid acknowledgement of her new colleague's flaws. "But it doesn't change the fact that Mr. Longbottom has had _five _summers and _five _winter holidays now to hire a tutor and properly teach him what was being neglected at this institution. And he's _certainly _not the only one. Mr. Longbottom is a well-connected Pureblood, so hiring a reputable and reliable tutor would have been _no_ issue had he a real desire to learn these disciplines. It was not _only _in Potions that he was found lacking for this class. And again, I know he's not the only student who found that out once I mailed all applicants to this class my expectations."

Delphi turned to Hermione who had initially brought up Neville, "Satisfied?" Granger's jaw clenched for a moment but she conceded that her professor's points were valid.

It was Draco who raised her hand next, "How the hell are you a Hufflepuff?" Draco and the others (except Luna) who were at the Ministry looked like they badly wanted to know the answer to this as well.

"A point from Slytherin for your cheek cousin of mine," Delphi sneered in a well-crafted imitation of Severus Snape. Neither Draco nor Pansy looked impressed. A couple of the Gryffindors badly concealed smirks. Delphi shrugged, "The hat considered all the houses, but decided that Hufflepuff was best. I doubt it was _that _different than some of your own sortings to be honest. Also, Hufflepuff is the house for outcasts, and I'm nothing if not that."

Pansy spoke up, "But you're…" she trailed off quickly at the intense look Delphi gave her.

"Turned on by violence? Somebody who kills for the fun of it?" Delphi asked with a far too innocent look which belied her disturbing words. More than one student turned to a neighbour and wondered exactly what the hell they just signed up for.

"Yes." Pansy admitted with a slight blush at the innuendo. But she was also chilled at the reminder that _she _was the only one who saw all of Delphi's victims fall.

Delphi shrugged as she began to spin her wand in with her long fingers like a pen. "Alastor Moody and Nymphadora Tonks are both exceptional Aurors, and also Hufflepuffs. Moody in particular is renowned for his violent tactics in the 1970's against the Death Eaters. As most of you are aware." There were a few grunted acknowledgments along with a dirty look from Malfoy she ignored.

Delphi took a breath, "But his loyalty once given is absolute. It's one of the reasons your teacher, Barty Crouch Jr., last year went under the radar for so long; because nobody suspects the person in the room who has earned Dumbledore's implicit trust, even if he's acting a bit daft."

Some of the students flinched at the reminder their previous teacher was one of Voldemort's greatest servants. "Any other questions?"

"Where are you from? Your accent's kinda wonky," Alicia Spinnet asked with a grin.

Delphi chuckled. "I've moved around a lot. I've spent the last few years in Austria, so that may explain some of my inflections. My accent has always sort of been fluid; I learned when I was young to be adaptable like that, and now it's subconcious. I know there's some light Scottish in there as well from hanging about Minerva for the last month and a half, but I'm from Wiltshire, originally, though I don't remember it." Draco looked alarmed at that as he made the connections in his head. _She was born in my house._ The others just looked amused that Professor McGonagall's heavy Scottish brogue was powerful enough to sway another's accent.

"Why do you use muggle terms?" Cho Chang asked timidly.

Delphi paused at the unexpected and insightful question. "Because I've spent a lot of my time around them? I enjoy their turns of phrase, their technology, their culture, sports, philosophies, religions, wars, etc. I'll probably find a way to connect some of this class back to the non-magical world to illustrate some of my points. A point to Ravenclaw for the observant question Ms. Chang." Cho smiled slightly. Draco was looking at Delphi sceptically, like he thought all muggles were dirty peasants…oh wait.

"Is it true you killed V-Voldemort?" Katie Bell spoke up.

After an uncomfortable silence, Delphi settled her eyes on the tallest Gryffindor Chaser. "Yes." She didn't offer anything else and Katie looked horribly chastised for asking such an invasive question. Delphi took pity on the girl and said, "He was my father. It was emotional. But he had to die for me and mine to live. It was just that simple." The casual confirmation of what the Daily Prophet and Quibbler had reported over the summer was received with a couple more gasps than Delphi liked. "Any more questions before we get started?"

Luna raised her prosthetic hand. She had covered it with a glove that Delphi couldn't help but think somebody else (Pansy perhaps?) chose for the blonde; it was just a stylish black glove; opposed to the sartorial disaster that would've been ensured had Luna picked out the glove herself. "Are you okay?"

Delphi's eyes snapped to the lone Irish student in the class with a small grin replacing a moment of bafflement. "I will be, Miss Lovegood. And you?" Delphi replied calmly despite the memories of her harrowing morning swirling behind her eyes.

"I will be," Luna said in a tone that sounded remarkably lucid, at least to Delphi's ears.

Professor Peverell nodded sympathetically, ignoring the multiple questioning looks the pair received for their very out of context and personal exchange. "Anyone else? No? Alright. Raise your hand if you can cast the Patronus Charm."

Potter, Granger, Luna, Ginny, and Cho raised their hands. "I'm assuming Potter is the one who taught you? In your illicit club from last year?" Delphi asked for appearances, already knowing the answer.

"Yes." Harry admitted.

"Ten points to Gryffindor then. Good on you Potter," Delphi said, surprising everyone. She hopped off her desk and brought herself up to her full impressive height before whipping out her wand and vanishing the desks. And then she vanished their chairs, causing everyone to fall on their bum, except Luna, who had risen to her feet once her desk was gone. Amid assorted cursing, they got to their feet. "Constant Vigilance!' Delphi crowed with a smirk. "Did you learn nothing from last year?"

After some more profanity that Delphi waved away, her students got to their feet. "Alright. I want you all to queue up laterally facing me. The classroom's wide enough so you should be able to manage that without trouble. Good. Now. Can one of you explain how to cast the Patronus Charm? Yes, Mr. Potter, might as well be you."

"You think of the happiest feeling and memory and say _Expecto Patronum!_" Harry said without fanfare.

"Descent description. Now. One at a time, I want you to cast or attempt to cast this charm. I'm aware of the difficulty, but as this is a N.E.W.T. level course, I'm allowed to ask you to be exceptional. But don't be discouraged if you fail now. Just consider it a goal I expect you to reach by end of fall term. Ms. Chang, you start."

After several minutes several ethereal beasts roamed the classroom and several frustrated students had managed nothing but silvery mist at best. "Honestly, the best advice I have for those of you who are struggling is simple: fall in love. Sex with a _romantic _partner is a really good starter for this charm. Sex alone without emotional investment is useless to this charm however. It's all in the _emotion_. Think about _what _or _who _makes you happy." Delphi said as almost everyone in the room was in various states of blush. "Grow up. I'm giving you legitimate advice here," Delphi said while admirably holding in a chuckle at how scandalized the kids (and adults) in front of her were at her crass.

Delphi looked around cataloguing everyone's progress. Harry Potter stag was cantering around him in a near perfect circle. Katie Bell's falcon was perched neatly on her shoulder. She was stroking its plumage tentatively. Ginny's destrier mare looked like it was entreating her for an apple or something. Hermione looked to be having some trouble with hers. Frustration was evident on her face; but what piqued Delphi's curiosity was the confused expression that Ginny and Harry were giving her. _Ah. She's capable, or at least she _was. Delphi thought she ought to ask her about it later.

Delphi looked towards Pansy and noticed she was not trying to produce more than the silvery wisps she'd managed thus far. She was gaping at Luna Lovegood and her Patronus.

The rookie Professor followed the Slytherin girl's gaze and nearly did a double take. Delphi's eyes blew wide as she processed the sight that was Luna's Patronus: an unadulterated Lovecraftian horror. It was a straight-up eldritch abomination and Luna was cooing at it while stroking one of its horrifying tentacles like it was her much loved house cat.

Delphi made an executive decision to end the patronus drill after she got an up close and disturbing view into that _thing's _gaping maw: webs of saliva stretched wide between bristling teeth opened wide enough to swallow a two metre toall human whole in a couple swallows. Perhaps the most disturbing thing about it was that since it was a paronous merely _representing _an eldritch beast, the think made Delphi feel warm and fuzzy. It probably just wanted a hug. The dichotomy was causing discord with her emotions. "Yeah…we're done for today," she muttered as she turned abruptly and walked back to her desk.

"Dispel your companions and sit back down," she waved her wand and re-conjured their desks and chairs. They did as she bid. "I'm passing out a permission slip to be signed by your guardian. Once it is signed, the Cruciatus Curse and the Imperious Curse will be allowed to be used in my class under my instruction. Azkaban or death for anybody who deviates from that directive by the way. There is a signature required for each spell as I understand that most if not all of your guardians will be reticent to sign such a proposal."

"Are you mad?" Lily Moon asked, speaking up for the first time that day.

"Yes. But Barty Jr. was allowed to cast _Imperio _on you last year _without _permission and nobody batted an eye. Umbridge used a legally recognized form of Azkaban-worthy torture and none of you batted an eye at it." There were a few flinches at that, Harry, Marietta, and Katie Bell. Delphi would remember that.

Professor Peverell spoke boldly, "Let's be honest, I'm not asking for much more. I would obviously be supervised by another professor while casting the spells, and even then, I will _ONLY _do so with your explicit consent. I don't take such a request lightly, but you need to _know _what you'll be facing out there." Ginny and Pansy looked worried; they had both performed Unforgivables right in front of their professor during the fight at the ministry.

"That's what _he _said." Potter spoke up. "Crouch. He said that too."

"Was he wrong? Tell me Potter, do you wish you had been prepared for my father's Cruciatus curse the night of his resurrection?"

Harry raised an eyebrow that she knew such a detail, but then remembered her prodigious Legillimancy skills and realised there was little of his life she probably didn't at least have some idea about. "I don't know if it would've helped that much," he said honestly.

Delphi shrugged. "Possibly. But my father was near unparalleled in power. Fleur Delacour would have probably benefitted from Cruciatus exposure prior to the Third Task, no?" Everyone looked uncomfortable…again. Delphi didn't stop though, "I'll bet Mr. Krum would have loved some training against the _Imperious _Curse. That way he might not harbour the guilt of sending Fleur to visit hospital intermittently for _weeks _afterward to deal with her aftershocks."

Delphi paused for a moment. "My intent isn't to hurt you. I'm going to _prepare you_. By the end of the year, my goal is for _all _of you to be able to stand for minutes under the torture curse without breaking. A lofty goal perhaps, but achievable with the right motivation." Pansy looked almost green at this point.

Professor Peverell continued her declaration, "Regarding the _Imperious Curse_, my goal is for you _all _to throw it off in under ten seconds, five would be preferable. So think on it. Our next class will deal with the Unforgivables regardless of whether or not you've had the permission forms signed."

"What do we do if we can't get our guardian to sign?" Marietta Edgecombe asked hesitantly.

"I'll come up with another long-term project for you to do if your parents are too squicky about my methods. But if they don't sign, you _will _be behind your classmates in _life_. Write to your mother about how she'd feel if you were forced _situations_ that could've been prevented or mitigated because of her allowance here" Delphi said seriously. No girl in the room misunderstood her emphasis on the word 'situation' and what Delphi _wasn't _saying. Marietta didn't object again.

There was suddenly a wind chime coming from Delphi's pocket. She pulled out her smartphone and said, "Time's up for today! In the next class I'm going to pair you up with a partner I'll expect you to work with the duration of the academic year. It won't be ironclad, but you'll have to work to convince me to change my mind. You can write me or visit during my office hours which I'll post outside in order to ask me to pair you with somebody in particular. No guarantees, but I will consider your input. I'll see you all next time. Oh, Luna, Potter, Pansy, Marietta, and Hermione please stay behind for a moment if you can spare one?" Delphi's tone softened at the end to a normal conversational tone and not her 'I'm your professor tone'.

"My guardian is dead," Harry said morosely. Delphi nodded.

"Yes. And again, I'm sorry about that. Not to worry, as head of House Black, _I'm _your guardian now.

"Seriously?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Yep. We can discuss it more later Harry, but that's the long and short of it," Delphi said calmly.

"Can I get it changed?" Harry asked timidly. Delphi just rolled her eyes and looked at Hermione.

"What happened to your patronus?" the professor asked bluntly.

"I don't know. I'm just. I'm really struggling to come up with a happy memory that isn't in some way associated with R-Ron," she said quietly. Harry put an arm around her and pulled her into a hug instead of leaving.

"Then make new memories. Or learn how to balance out your grief with your joy inside already existing memories. You'll get it again in time, I'm sure of it," Delphi said with real warmth. Hermione looked up in surprise, she wasn't alone.

"What? I'm not some frigid bitch. I can be sentimental and shit," Delphi pouted. She turned to the Ravenclaw girl with a raised eyebrow, eyes on Marietta's obvious acne scarring.

"Yes?" Marietta asked defensively.

"Have you had Professor Snape take a serious look at your scarring there?" Delphi asked without hesitation. Hermione balanced, and Marietta threw the Gryffindor a _hateful _look. Delphi's eyes widened in realisation.

"No. But Madam Pomphrey's potions and spells didn't help. And St. Mungos checked it out and said it would likely fade with time," Marietta replied quietly.

"Hermione? Are you responsible for this?" Delphi asked with a grin that couldn't be considered benign.

"Yes," Hermione replied like a mouse.

Delphi considered for a moment. "Explain." And so Hermione explained the first D.A. meeting in the Hog's Head and how she had turned the list of names they all signed without their knowledge into a hidden contract. Marietta's glare was practically poisonous while Hermione explained that Ms. Edgecombe was a SNEAK.

"I'll confess I wasn't expecting this when I called you lot up here. Unexpected, but not unwelcome. So, Marietta, why did you inform on the D.A.?" Delphi genuinely inquired.

To their surprise it wasn't Marietta who spoke up to defend her name. It was Pansy. "The Inquisitorial Squad found out by luck that Marietta was disappearing for a couple hours at a time on a semi-regular basis. If it was a relationship, one of the Patil twins would've dished about it, so we knew it was something else." Pansy looked deeply ashamed, and the looks Harry and Hermione were giving her were not the charitable sort.

"Continue," Delphi encouraged.

"Marietta's mother Georgina is part of, _was _part of Fudge's administration. I don't know what she does now," Pansy muttered.

"Minister Bones' secretary," Marietta provided with defensive pride shining in her eyes.

"Ok. But under Fudge, if it came to light that her daughter was a part of an _illegal _militia organized in Dumbledore's house, she would have certainly been fired and blacklisted. Complete economic ruin," Pansy added when Harry looked sceptical. "As somebody who's never had to worry about paying his way in _our world _you don't understand a thing about that threat hovering over you," Pansy lashed out pre-emptively.

Harry looked like he was about to defend himself before Delphi cut him off with a curt hand movement. "So you lot blackmailed Marietta right? Name names or snitch?" Delphi surmised.

Pansy shook her head as Marietta looked nervous. "Umbridge wanted more…" Pansy trailed off as she looked to Marietta seeking permission? Delphi had a bad feeling take root in her gut.

The Ravenclaw started fidgeting before Delphi placed a firm hand on the brown-haird girl's shoulder. "It's alright. I can ask them to leave if you want to talk about this in private," Delphi offered in a moment of generosity.

Marietta seemed to consider it before rolling her left sleeve up hastily as if she was expending a limited burst of courage that wouldn't sustain anything other than an abrupt revelation. Her forearm was revealed to have scarring not unlike Potter's hand. Hermione and Harry both gasped and Luna awkwardly patted her upperclassman on her shoulder. Taking up all the skin from her elbow to hand, Marietta's forearm was carved in neat script: _COMPLIANCE WILL BE REWARDED. I WILL COMPLY. _"She _made me_ tell," Marietta said as tears formed in her eyes. Hermione was devastated. The Gryffindor girl looked like she wanted nothing more than to hurl herself off the Astronomy tower.

After a few beats of horrified silence Delphi crooned softly a repeated phrase in Latin while tracing her wand over the horrible defilement of Marietta's skin. The scar started to fade until they were thin white lines, barely noticeable to the unknowing eye. "There dear girl, you shouldn't have to carry the burden of that cunt's hatred the rest of your life like that. The rest should fade completely within a couple years. It's the best I can do." Delphini spoke softly while maintaining eye contact with Marietta the whole time. Marietta didn't say anything, but she burst forward and threw her arms around Delphi in a surprise hug.

The remaining students chuckled at the baffled look on Delphi's face. "Hey Luna?" Delphi asked while still in the elder Ravenclaw's tight embrace.

"You wanted to ask about my Patronus, professor?" Luna asked innocently.

"What was that?" Delphini asked bluntly.

"That was my protector, obviously." Luna offered no than her sass.

"Your Patronus is almost certainly going to haunt my sleep and I don't want to see it again. I know you can cast it, that's good enough, so keep it the fuck away from me," Delphi ordered as Marietta extricated herself from her fairly one-sided hug with her professor, blushing like mad.

Still grinning with her wide childlike eyes, Luna shrugged and turned on her heel and skipped out of the room humming to herself.


End file.
